Overall, when considering the seemingly ever-present mosquitoes, this group virtually populates every corner of the world. However, Anopheles earlei specifically lives in area shown on map.  Image credit: Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit

The eggs, larvae and pupae forms of this species live on the surface of sluggish, slow-moving semi-permanent water bodies, and on the edges of ponds with cold, clear water that has emergent plants and other vegetation. Water in woodland areas such as pools, bogs, marshes and slow moving streams can also be lived in by this mosquito. However, Anopheles earlei is not restricted to living in the wild! With only enough water to fill a footprint larvae can be found, so if you are trying to prevent the outbreak of mosquitoes in your own yard…

 

REMOVE any and ALL sources of standing water!

(Tires, gutters, buckets, flower pots, bird baths, essentially any place where water can collect—All are perfect breeding grounds!)

 

 

Many other organisms live in this same habitat. It is easy to realize this by just walking down to a nearby pond or stream and notice the immense diversity in vegetation and organisms. Specific organisms live in the water, others are terrestrial and use the pond as a source of water, others take to the air. All use the water as a source of life.

 

The organisms that are most important to the lifecycle of a mosquito are the:  the emergent vegetation that allows protection for the egg and pupae, and the predators:  frogs, crayfish, snakes, fish (there are even specially named mosquito eating fish), dragonflies, backswimmers, damselflies, water striders, water spiders, birds, salamanders, diving beetles and bats.  These predators feed on the mosquito at different parts of its life style, for example the larvae, egg, and pupae would be eaten by a fish whereas a bat would prey on the adult form of the mosquito. 

 

The world is set up on a very delicate balance based on the interactions between all species. Although it is hard to see a specific role of the mosquito besides annoyance to humans, if the mosquito was absent from a ecosystem, it would disturb the balance of the food web and an organism high up on the chain would then be left without a nutrition source and the chain reaction continues with the balance destroyed and the the whole web would be disturbed.

 

Each organism plays an important part in maintaining this balance.

 

 

 

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