Some of the main characteristics for differentiating Anopheles, Aedes and Culex mosquitos (© WHO).
| Mosquito | Anopheles | Culex | Aedes | Mansonia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs: 100-250 | Laid singly | |||
| Floats (+) | Laid singly | |||
| Floats (-) | Laid in clusters | |||
| Floats (-) | Laid in star-shaped clusters | |||
| Floats (-) | ||||
| Larva | Rudimentary breathing tube | |||
| Lies parallel to water undersurface | Siphon/breathing tube | |||
| Lies with head downwards | Siphon/breathing tube | |||
| Lies with head downwards | Siphon/breathing tube | |||
| Lies with head downwards | ||||
| Adult | Wings spotted | |||
| Sit with heads low & ends raised high | Wings unspotted | |||
| Sit with bodies horizontal while | Wings unspotted | |||
| Body stripped “tiger mosquitoes” | Wings unspotted | |||
| Breeding areas | Clean water | Dirty & polluted water | Artificial water collection | Aquatic vegetations |
| Diseases | Malaria | |||
| Filariasis | Viral arthritis | |||
| Flavivirus: West Nile fever, JE | ||||
| Bancroftian filariasis | Flavivirus: Degue, Yellow fever, Zika virus | |||
| Togavirus: Chickungunya | ||||
| Bunyavirus: Rift valley fever | ||||
| Filariasis | Malayan filariasis |