bottoms, salt water high tides etc.). Most eggs hatch just within 48 hours so now you have hundreds of developing mosquitoes. The larvae stage begins to emerge from the eggs within 24 hours.

Mosquito larva, referred to as “wigglers”, stay in the water and they only come to the surface to obtain oxygen. They begin to shed their skin and by doing this their growth develops. Most larvae hang from the water surface where their siphon tubes feed them their oxygen. The larvae that don’t have siphon tubes like the Anopheles lay parallel to the water surface in order to get some oxygen through an opening. They feed on micro-organisms and organic matter found in the water. They live in the water from 4 to 14 days regulated by the water temperature, but on the fourth molt, also known as instars, of shedding skin is when the larva changes into a pupa. For example, the Culex might go through its life cycle in 14 days at 70 F but only take 10 days at 80 F

Mosquito pupae, also referred to as “tumblers”, floats in the water from 1 to 4 days again depending on the temperature and species. It gets its oxygen from two breathing tubes also known as “trumpets”. When it is troubled it dives into the water jerking and going crazy and then it floats right back to the surface. In the pupal stage, the mosquito is not feeding but instead it is taking this time of its life cycle to rest for the development completion into an adult. It takes about two days before it is fully developed and when it is, the pupal skin splits and the mosquito goes into a new life stage, the adult stage.

Once it is in the adult stage, the mosquito takes a short time to rest in the surface of the water so the wings can dry and its parts can harden. A few days later the mosquito is ready to begin feeding and mating. The male mosquito has a shortly lived life because it dies soon after it mates with the female.

Although we often refer to any biting pest as a mosquito, there are many different species of these annoying insects. Below are a description of the most common types in Florida.

Aedesmosquitoes are painful and persistent biters, but they only attack at daylight. They do not go into someone’s dwelling, and their preference of feeding off from is the mammals like humans. These mosquitoes can fly for miles and miles.

Culex mosquitoes are painful and persistent biters too, but instead of attacking in daylight, they prefer to attack at dusk and after dark. They do enter dwellings unlike Aedes mosquitoes. Their preference of feeding off from is domestic and wild birds instead of man, cows, and horses. Culex tarsalis is well known for transmitting a disease known as encephalitis (sleeping sickness) to man as well as horses. The culex mosquito cannot take on as many miles of flying like the Aedes mosquito. They only live the few weeks of the summer months and in the late summer they search for shelter where they “hibernate” until spring. During the warm weather is when they begin to lay their eggs.

Culiseta mosquitoes attack in the evening or in the shade of the day. These mosquitoes are aggressive biters.

Anopheles mosquitoes are the only mosquitoes that are known to transmit malaria to man.

Below is an illustration of the life cycle of a mosquito in the egg raft, larva, pupa, and adult stages.

Biting midges are small robust insects with piercing and sucking mouth parts that belong to the fly family of Ceratopogonidae. Only a few groups within this family are known to suck blood and their populations are almost world wide. These small flies are notorious for their nuisance biting associated with habitats such as coastal lagoons, mangrove swamps, estuaries, and tidal flats. In Florida these flies are commonly known as sand flies or no-see-ums but are correctly referred to as biting midges.The biting activity of adult biting midges is mainly limited to the periods of dawn and dusk; they will remain inactive through very windy weather, finding shelter amongst vegetation. Biting midges usually travel only short distances from their breeding sites. Only female midges feed on blood, but both the females and males will feed on vegetable fluids and nectar. Adult midges are 1.5 - 4.0 mm long with stout short legs, and at rest fold their wings, which are often mottled, over the abdomen. Their mouth parts are short and projected down. Female midges may attack humans in large numbers, biting on any areas of exposed skin, and often on the face, scalp and hands. Some species will feed on a variety of animal hosts, such as, horses, cows, dogs, cats, etc.The egg batches contain between 30-100 eggs, and are laid on selected areas, such as, mud, decaying leaf litter, damp soil or other vegetative materials, dependent on the species. The small eel-like larvae hatch in a few days; their larval habitat must contain a proportion of organic material with a high moisture content to provide favorable conditions for the larval stage to prosper and pupate. The whole life cycle takes 3-10 weeks, all depending on the species and the ambient climate.

Biting midges are responsible for your discomfort, irritation and severe local reactions. Itching may begin instantly after the bite, but most often the pain begins some hours later. Tourist and new residents are most susceptible to the blood-thirsty biting midges. In some sensitive people, midges can produce persistent reactions that blister and weep serum from the site of each bite and these reactions may last for several days or as long as weeks. Biting midges are not known to transmit any disease-causing pathogens to humans in Florida. However, the irritating result and inconvenience of being bitten by these pests is aggravating enough. Coastal area residents and visitors to Florida are often aware that something is biting, but when they look for the offender, none can be found. Sometimes they may see what appears as a speck on the skin. Florida, unfortunately, is home not only for abundant mosquitoes, but also for minute biting insects known locally as sand flies, no-see-ums, or punkies, although, the more correct name is biting midges. They are especially troublesome in coastal areas, where most of Florida's population lives. Biting midges are particularly abundant in the vicinity of mangrove swamps or salt marshes. Biting midges breed in salt and fresh water habitats throughout the world.

These insects share a life cycle much like the mosquito. They are holometabolous, progressing from egg to larva to pupa, and finally to the adult stage. The adults are most abundant near productive breeding sites, but will disperse to mate and to feed. The mean distance for female flight is 2 km, less than half of that distance for males.

Males typically appear before the females and are ready to mate when the female emerges from the pupal stage. Although some species will mate, in swarms while flying, other species mate without swarming. Males go to hosts where the female is likely to feed on blood; mating occurs when she finishes feeding.

Males and females both feed on nectar, but the females require blood for their eggs to mature. The females will blood-feed primarily around dawn and dusk; however, there are some species that prefer to feed during the day. Some species are autogenous ,and therefore, may produce the first batch of viable eggs without a blood meal. They accomplish this by using reserves stored from the larval period; blood meals are required for subsequent batches of eggs. The number of eggs produced varies among species and the amount of blood protein derived from their host.

In the U.S., the biting midges are primarily a nuisance and the major medical issue associated with Culicoides is allergic reactions to the bites. However, like other blood feeding insects these species can be carriers of pathogens that can cause disease in humans and animals. In Central and South America, western and central Africa, and some Caribbean islands, biting midges are the vectors of filarial worms in the genus Mansonella. These parasites cause infection in humans that produces dermatitis and skin lesions because the adult worms are located in the skin. The pests are also carriers of many other diseases that affect abroad range of animals.

Biting midge larvae consume decaying organic matter in mud, inter tidal sand, or wet soil around water holes and seepage areas. Adults feed on liquid substances ranging from plant juices to body fluids of insects and the blood of vertebrates. Females of many species feed on mammals, including man.