Mosquito Scientific Name and Taxonomic Classification

Mosquitoes belong to the clan Diptera, and suborder Nematocera. The term for the family to which mosquitoes belong, “Culicidae” is derived from Latin, which translates to “gnat”. Today, nearly 110 genera have been identified in the family Culicidae and over 3,600 species have been documented.

Most mosquitoes are two-winged insects no larger than 20 mm in size. From an evolutionary perspective, the earliest mosquito fossils were discovered from the Cretaceous, some 90 to 100 million years ago. These insects are also considered pests as they cause different types of diseases in humans and animals.

Classification of Mosquitoes

The family Culicidae is classified into two subfamilies:

• Anophelinae

• Culicinae

Scientific Names of Select Mosquito Species

• Anopheles gambiae

• Culiseta longiareolata

Mosquito

Mosquitoes belong to the Diptera clan  and suborder Nematocera. Mosquitoes belong to the  “Culicidae”  family, and the term  is derived from Latin, and means “gnat”. Nearly 110 genera have been identified in the family Culicidae and over 3,600 species have been documented till date. Mosquitoes are two-winged insects  and are approximately 20 mm in size. The earliest mosquito fossils were discovered from the Cretaceous, long back, about  90 to 100 million years ago. Mosquitoes also fall in the category of pests as they cause various types of diseases in humans and animals.

“Culicidae” is classified into two subfamilies, namely

i) Anopheles gambiae

ii) Culiseta longiareolata

In one particular group of mosquitoes, the females have  long mouth parts that are adapted for piercing and for sucking blood. The male on the other hand,, which feeds on nectar and water, has rudimentary mouthparts. The female mosquitoes of this particular group prefer the blood of the warm-blooded animals, and when they bite, they inject  their salivary fluid into the wound, and this causes the swelling and irritation that we see. Many infectious diseases such as malaria, yellow fever, dengue, and filariasis are transmitted through the bite of the mosquito.

Mosquito Facts:

i) Only female mosquitoes are known to bite humans, a rather surprising fact to know, but the reason for this is that they, the female mosquitoes get the protein and other nutrients that are essential for the production and development of the egg. 

ii) Mosquitoes are often said to be as old as Dinosaurs. The mosquitoes have been biting humans for a long time now. 

iii) Another very strange and amusing fact is that mosquitoes have the capacity to learn and remember what their hosts smell like, and they can locate them wherever they  go, in order to bite you.

iv) Mosquitoes have a very short life span  and it is estimated that they live for approximately two months.

v) Around the world, there are about 3000 species of mosquitoes.

vi) Mosquitoes are considered to be addicted to Carbon Dioxide. Carbon dioxide is one among the various ways during which mosquitoes find their next feast. Mosquitoes use a special organ called the ‘maxillary palp’ which  helps them to follow the smell of Carbon Dioxide (CO₂),that is  released from our breath and then they attack.