It is during this stage that the metamorphosis to an adult takes place. After several days, the adult emerges from the pupal casing and immediately rests at the water's surface for a few days in order to harden its outer skin. Mosquitoes will mate over a two to three day period and females will start seeking a blood meal within a week. Both male and female mosquitoes feed on flower nectar as a personal food source. A mosquito's life span can vary from one week for the males, to several months for the females, depending on environmental conditions.
Vectors transmit disease by biting an infected host and then biting an uninfected target.
Often the host is not affected by the disease but rather acts as a reservoir for the disease pathogens. The pathogens need to be highly concentrated in the host's blood in order for the mosquito to transmit the disease. Because of the physiological process required in the body of the mosquito for the pathogen to penetrate the salivary glands, not all diseases can be contracted by a mosquito bite. It is noteworthy that the AIDS virus cannot be transmitted by a mosquito bite. Since some mosquitoes only bite birds, disease can be concentrated within the bird population.