Females have fine threadlike antennae with few hairs, whereas males have bushy antennae. Mosquitoes are holometabolous insects and therefore grow through an egg, larva, pupa to adult stage. The larvae and pupae are aquatic, the adults are free flying. The pupa takes three days before the adult emerges. Adult females live several weeks if given a source of sugar.
Males usually live less than a week.
Natural History Food Larvae eat many things. They graze over rocks and plant material removing growing algae and bacteria. They will filter feed from polluted water, but the water in which they live must never be allowed to develop a scum as they must be able to contact the air through the siphon at the end of the abdomen. Both male and female adults feed on nectar. Females also feed on blood which is needed to produce eggs.