Question

mosquitoes do not lay eggs in stagnant water

Answer 1

The fact is, mosquito eggs need waterto HATCH - but some species lay theireggs in moist soil (not standing water) and the eggs need to dry out before they can hatch. These mosquitoes arethe "floodwater" species. ... The waterthat reaches the eggs provides a cue to hatch

Answer 2

Mosquito larvae are relatively poor swimmers and they have no means to retain their position in flowing water. Those in flowing water would simply be washed downstream, likely to their demise. Hence, they exploit diverse habitats of still water. Mosquitoes of some species focus on small containers, such as the tiny puddle within bromeliad leaves or cut ends of bamboo. These same mosquitoes find attractive the water collected within bottles, cans, hoof prints, tire tracks, catch basins and disused tire casings. At least a few specialize in the water within pitcher plants. Yet other mosquitoes prefer the edges of ponds, rice paddies, puddles in salt marshes and many other kinds of sites.

The ‘mosquito equivalent’ in running water would be the black fly. Larvae of black flies secrete silk and appress tiny pads of this material to rock or vegetation substrates. They then grab onto this pad with circlets of hooks at their posterior end to hold fast in position. As with most kinds of mosquito larvae, black fly larvae filter feed and scrape organic material from the substrate. The adults of most kinds of mosquitoes and black flies blood feed, but their mouthparts differ remarkably in appearance and function