Data sheet mosquito larvae
Latin name:
Culicidae
Trade name:
mosquito larvae
Origin:
unknown, widespread on all continents
Size (in cm:
10 to 15 millimeters
age expectation:
2 to 3 weeks
behavior/stocking
Location at the pond:
near the shore, just below the water surface
Dangerous?
not life-threatening, but rarely a carrier of pathogens such as bacteria or viruses Webrunner, Gerris by webrunner, CC BY-SA 3.0
key data
Hot weather with high humidity and the mosquitoes are buzzing around our gardens. The animals belonging to the insects have spread far and wide in our latitudes and can be found in our watering cans or water troughs.
The small animals love the muggy warm weather and thrive best there. In Flocks of 200 to 300 larvae they live just below the water surface of standing waters and mature in a few weeks beyond that pupal stage to adult mosquito approach.
Typical characteristics
Look
The larvae have one gray to black torsothe spikes has, which are more developed in the area of the head. One strong segmentation of the body is to be identified, with the abdomen divided into 9 and the thorax into 3 sections. They have a on the penultimate abdominal segment breathing tubewhich protrudes above the water surface and pumps oxygen to the animals.
The two too Breathing horns at the back of the head serve to exchange oxygen with the environment, but are degenerated within the pupal stage. The mouthparts are perfectly adapted to the intake of food from the water. The upper body is broader and curves outwards, while the worm-shaped posterior long and becomes more pointed towards the last segmentation.
Behave
Mosquito larvae are found in groups during their maturation period and hang motionless just below the water surfaceso as not to be noticed by predators from the mainland.
Despite their immobility in the water, the larvae of mosquitoes twitch when danger threatens and flee in all directions meandering movementsto protect themselves from their natural predators. Only through her well developed sense of sightwhich allows for all-round vision, they can quickly spot approaching enemies.
Occurrence in the pond/life in the pond
Larvae are deposited by the females in ponds or near the banks because they water dwellers are. Due to the ability to breathe atmospheric air, the animals are a few millimeters from the surface. The larvae feel most comfortable in one warm and humid environmentin which the water makes no waves.
Provide protection from natural enemies Aquatic plants, algae or reeds. Larvae are never found singly because the females lay over 200 eggs and in one pond swarms of larvae are to be found. You live in one biocenosis and go through with it common defense mechanisms difficult for predators to eat.
development/growth
The female mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water such as ponds on mild summer days. There are up to 300 eggs in Shape of an ice boat are arranged.
The resulting mosquito larvae survive for only a few weeks, with development accelerated by high temperatures and good food availability, so under favorable conditions few days of life possible are. As a result, the larvae pass through 4 more stages of development.
feed and nutrition
The larvae feed on their mouthparts Microorganisms in the water, detritus particles and floating algae. With their meandering movement, they snap at their prey and in this way eat algae, empty larval shells or suspended matter.
larvae are suitable food for young and small fish and for reptiles. Floating at the water’s surface makes it difficult for fish to eat the larvae because they float at the bottom.
propagation and breeding
propagation
Mosquito larvae can thrive under perfect conditions multiply very quickly. Ponds with a small surface, which reach 15°C in early spring, are preferred for laying eggs by the females. The 200 to 300 eggs go through the development stage very quickly due to the optimal conditions, so that all animals are mature within 2 weeks.
The Mating season between March and October and the developed mating females necessitate one exponential multiplication. The cold snap in autumn cannot harm this large population of mosquitoes because the females look for sheltered places to hibernate.
breed
You can get the females to lay their eggs in a specific location. Breeding larvae is useful for aquaristswho need food for their fish. If you don’t have your own pond, you put one in the spring vat or a tub in the garden and fill it with water.
The container with a cover grid, so that young birds do not drown. After 3 to 4 days the associations of larvae swim on the water surface.
Other questions
Why keep larvae in the aquarium?
larvae are optimal food for fishthat live in aquariums. In order to prevent an unbalanced diet, one should treat the larvae as Supplement to normal feed to use.
Can mosquito larvae survive without water?
No, the larvae cannot survive without water. To combat larvae in watering cans or water troughs, it makes sense to pour out the water, which destroys the habitat.