Which life stages of mosquitoes are aquatic?

• A. Egg, larva, and pupa
• B. Egg and larva only
• C. Pupa and adult
• D. Adult only

Answer: (A)

In mosquitoes, the immature stages all develop in water. Eggs are laid on or right at the water’s surface and hatch into aquatic larvae. The larval stage spends its entire time in the water, feeding on microorganisms and growing, and it breathes air through specialized openings while staying just beneath the surface. After several molts, they become pupae, which are still aquatic and do not feed, but they are mobile in the water as they finish development. When the final molt occurs, a winged adult emerges and leaves the water to live on land. So, the life stages that are aquatic are the egg, larva, and pupa.

If a option excludes any of these stages or includes only the adult, it wouldn’t capture the full aquatic portion of mosquito development.