Title: Distinguishing Anopheles mosquitoes from other types
Course: Communicable Diseases Part 1 - Ethiopia (Full)

Distinguishing Anopheles mosquitoes from other types

The terms 'anophelines' and 'culicines' refer to all species of these mosquito types.

There are two common types of mosquitoes that lay their eggs in water: anophelines, which can be vectors of malaria, and culicines, which do not carry malaria. It is very important that you know the difference in the morphology (structure and shape) of these mosquitoes to identify the exact breeding habitats that support the development of the potential vectors.

Now study the differences in the body structure and resting position in water collections of the anopheline and culicine larvae. You don't need magnifying or other equipment to distinguish anopheline and culicine larvae. You can tell the difference by looking at the larvae in the vector breeding waters. Your mentor will show you the difference between the two during your practical training. This will be a very important part of your task as a health professional: identifying water collections that shelter anopheline larvae and taking action to eliminate such breeding grounds or kill the larvae.

This illustration depicts an Anopheles sp. mosquito transmitting sporozoites while obtaining a blood meal. During a blood meal, a malaria-infected female Anopheles sp. mosquito inoculates its human host with sporozoites, which then infect human liver cells, where they mature into schizonts, which finally rupture, releasing merozoites. Source: 1976. CDC Public Health Image Library.

There are four stages in the mosquito life cycle, and three of them -- eggs, larvae and pupae -- are to be found in water.