what are anopheles,culex and aedes? where do they grow?
Answers
Am working on these three species and need to know the identification procedure for these. Both adult and larvae. Also, enlighten about instar stage identification.
Thank you
Answer:
Anopheles are the easiest to identify. They don't have a siphon and stay paralell to the water surface.
Aedes and Culex are very similar, however. But looking at the siphon you'll notice that the ones from Culex are longer and have a lighter color; their body is also "hairy" compared to Aedes. Using a microscope, look at the morphology of the combs, they are very different.
For adults:
Now Aedes mosquitoes are the easiest to identify. They are black and have white patches.
Culex and Anopheles are yellow-ish, but you can identify them by observing their resting position. Anopheles mosquitoes have a ~45 degree angle, while Culex stay parallel to the surface. Microscopically, look for antena morphology.
To identify instars, just look at the size and the color of the larvae. First instar larvae are very small, with light gray color, while 4th instar larvae are very dark, and you can see their hair very clearly. Microscopically, look at the saddle, it gets bigger and darker with the instar, covering the anal segment almost entirely.
After some time working with them you'll differentiate all the instars easily, it's just a matter of practice.