The mosquito is a common flying insect that is found around the world. There are about 2,700 species of mosquitoes. She finds her victims by sight and smell, and also by detecting their warmth. The mosquito is often a carrier of diseases, such as malaria, encephalitis, yellow fever, dengue fever, dog heartworm, and many others. The females, who drink blood, can carry disease from one animal to another as they feed.
Mosquitoes also have a pair of veined wings.
They have a straw-like proboscis and can only eat liquids. The complete life-cycle of a mosquito takes about a month. After drinking blood, adult females lay 40 to 400 tiny white eggs in standing water or very slow-moving water. Larvae eat bits of floating organic matter and each other. Pupae also live near the surface of the water, breathing through a horn-like tube on their back.