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Microbiology · Arthropod vectors

Anopheles !

  • Parasite
  • Exam priority: medium

The mosquito that spreads malaria. It bites at dusk and at night and breeds in still natural water; treated bed nets stop it.

Updated 2026-11-01

Also called: malaria mosquito

At a glance

Shape
Adult rests tilted, abdomen at an angle to the surface; wings with pale and dark spots
Family
Culicidae, subfamily Anophelinae
Type
Blood-feeding dipteran insect (vector)
Size
Adult a few millimetres long

Morphology

  • Adult rests with its body tilted (not parallel to the wall like Aedes or Culex).
  • Female palps as long as the proboscis.
  • Larvae without a siphon, floating parallel to the water surface.
  • Eggs laid singly on water, with side floats.

Transmission

  • The female takes up Plasmodium gametocytes when biting an infected person.
  • The parasite completes its sexual cycle (sporogony) in the mosquito over more than a week, depending on temperature.
  • Sporozoites reach the salivary glands and pass to a person at the next bite.

Reservoir: Humans (reservoir of Plasmodium)

Vector: In Colombia, the primary malaria vectors are An. darlingi, An. albimanus and An. nuneztovari; there are also secondary and local vectors such as An. pseudopunctipennis and An. neivai.

Isolation precautions

What the care team adds to standard precautions.

  • Standard

Life cycle

  1. The female lays 50 to 200 single eggs on still or slow-moving water.
  2. Eggs float and do not survive drying; they hatch in a few days.
  3. Larvae breathe through spiracles, float parallel to the surface and moult four times.
  4. The pupa lives in water without feeding, and the adult emerges from it.
  5. Egg to adult takes about 10 to 14 days.
  6. Males swarm at dusk; the mated female seeks blood at night.

Virulence factors

  • Anthropophilic, long-lived species are the best vectors: the parasite needs time inside the mosquito.
  • Some bite indoors (endophagic) and others outdoors (exophagic), which changes which measures work.
  • Insecticide resistance threatens nets and spraying.

Diseases it causes

  • Malaria (Plasmodium vivax, P. falciparum, P. malariae) Malaria →
  • Lymphatic filariasis from Wuchereria bancrofti in some regions of the world

Diagnosis

  • Taxonomic identification of adults and larvae by morphological and molecular keys.
  • Human landing catches and traps to measure biting rate and biting hours.
  • Detection of Plasmodium in mosquitoes (ELISA or PCR) and insecticide susceptibility tests.

Treatment

Does not apply to the insect. Control uses residual insecticides (pyrethroids and other classes) on nets and walls, rotated according to the resistance found.

Drug class only; doses and regimens are set by the clinician from the current guideline.

Prevention

  • Long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets.
  • Indoor residual spraying.
  • Larval source management (drainage, larvicides, larvivorous fish) where feasible.
  • Repellent and long clothes from dusk; fast diagnosis and treatment of cases to cut transmission.

Test yourself

Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.

How is an Anopheles larva told apart from an Aedes larva?

Anopheles has no siphon and floats parallel to the surface; Aedes hangs at an angle from its breathing siphon.

What are the primary malaria vectors in Colombia?

Anopheles darlingi, An. albimanus and An. nuneztovari.

Which two vector-control measures does WHO name as the basis of malaria control?

Insecticide-treated nets and indoor residual spraying.

Which phase of the Plasmodium cycle happens in the mosquito?

The sexual phase (sporogony): gametocytes unite and form sporozoites that migrate to the salivary glands.

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Educational content on microorganisms; not a treatment guide and no substitute for a health professional's advice. No doses are given.

Sources: Life Cycle of Anopheles Mosquitoes | Mosquitoes | CDC (CDC, 2024); Malaria (WHO, 2025); Parasitosis humanas (Botero y Restrepo), 5.ª ed. (Corporación para Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB), 2012).

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Representative model, for educational purposes only.