Mosquitos begin life in the water, where their eggs are laid in floating rafts. The larvae that emerge feed on organic material in the water while developing into pupae. Days later, an adult mosquito emerges from the water, waits for its wings to dry, and flies off.
Scientific Name: Culicidae
Characteristics: Mosquitos go through a radical transformation, spending three out of four stages living in water. As adults, only females drink blood; males are only interested in mating.
Size and Color: These flexible figures show how mosquitos advance through extremely distinct stages. The adult measures 10.1 cm from wingtip to wingtip, so all the details are magnified.