What are mosquito larvae? So it turns out they are called wrigglers

Mosquitoes are pests that everyone hates. On summer nights, mosquitoes buzz right by your pillow, making it impossible to sleep. What is even more hateful is that mosquitoes suck human blood and spread all kinds of diseases. Although mosquitoes are notorious far and wide, not everyone knows what mosquito larvae are. Now let us take a look at what mosquito larvae are!

What are mosquito larvae?

Mosquito larvae are wrigglers (jié jué), also called tumbler worms or fangxue worms. They hatch from mosquito eggs in water. Their bodies are slender, with a broad thorax, head and abdomen. When swimming, their bodies bend and stretch. They feed on bacteria and single-celled algae in the water and breathe air.

The development process of mosquitoes

A mosquito's life goes through four stages: egg, larva (wriggler), pupa and adult.

1. Egg: Mosquitoes generally lay their eggs in clear water, such as small river water, rainwater puddles, ponds, pools, rice fields and mountain streams.

2. Wriggler: In warm seasons, the eggs hatch into wrigglers in about three days and begin to eat tiny microorganisms and protozoa growing in the water, drawing air near the water surface through the two spiracles at the rear end of the body.

3. Pupa: After molting, the wriggler finally stops eating, becomes less active and turns into a pupa.

4. Adult: After about two or three days, the pupa comes to the water surface again, sheds its skin and emerges as an adult mosquito that flies out.

What are the natural enemies of wrigglers?

1. Fish: such as mosquitofish.

2. Aquatic insects: dragonfly nymphs, water mantises, giant water bugs, belostomatid bugs, water scavenger beetles, etc.

3. Aquatic arthropods: small shrimp, small crabs, etc.

4. Small amphibians: newts, tadpoles, etc.