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Know Your Mosquitoes
A practical introduction to major mosquito vectors.
- Pictures
- Behaviors
- Geography
- Diseases they can transmit
Disease transmission requires the right chain
Correct mosquito
Only certain species can transmit a given pathogen.
Infected blood meal
The female must acquire the pathogen from an infected host.
Development inside
The pathogen must survive and reach the mosquito’s saliva.
Later bite
Transmission can occur during a later blood meal.
Three genera drive many mosquito-borne diseases
Aedes
Aedes speciesAnopheles
Anopheles speciesCulex
Culex speciesSeven mosquitoes worth knowing
Filter by genus, then tap a mosquito to open its ID card.
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Aedes aegypti
the urban yellow fever mosquito
Aedes
Aedes aegypti
the urban yellow fever mosquitoSimplified illustration — confirm specimens with a regional identification key.
Dark body, white-banded legs, and pale lyre-shaped markings on the thorax.
Aggressive daytime biter; closely associated with people and container water.
Tropical and subtropical Africa, the Americas, Asia and Pacific regions
Best established in warmer southern and southwestern areas; potential range varies by climate
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Aedes albopictus
the Asian tiger mosquito
Aedes
Aedes albopictus
the Asian tiger mosquitoSimplified illustration — confirm specimens with a regional identification key.
Black-and-white legs with one straight white stripe running down the top of the thorax.
Day-biting; uses tires, buckets, saucers and other small containers.
Native to Asia; now established across many tropical, subtropical and temperate regions
Broad potential range across much of the East, Southeast and parts of the Midwest and West
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Anopheles gambiae group
Africa’s malaria vectors
Anopheles
Anopheles gambiae group
Africa’s malaria vectorsSimplified illustration — confirm specimens with a regional identification key.
Spotted wings; adults often rest with the abdomen angled upward from the surface.
Many important species bite from dusk through dawn.
Sub-Saharan Africa; exact range differs among members of the species complex
Anopheles mosquitoes occur worldwide except Antarctica
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Anopheles quadrimaculatus
U.S. malaria vector
Anopheles
Anopheles quadrimaculatus
U.S. malaria vectorSimplified illustration — confirm specimens with a regional identification key.
Dark brown; four dark wing spots; adults rest with the abdomen angled upward.
Females bite mainly at dusk and night; larvae favor vegetated permanent freshwater.
Widespread across much of the eastern United States, especially the Southeast
Ponds, lakes, marshes and slow water with aquatic vegetation
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Culex pipiens complex
the house mosquitoes
Culex
Culex pipiens complex
the house mosquitoesSimplified illustration — confirm specimens with a regional identification key.
Mostly plain brown; subtle pale bands on the abdomen. Species-level ID often requires expertise.
Usually most active from dusk through dawn; larvae develop in many kinds of standing water.
Common across temperate regions, including much of northern North America
More common in tropical, subtropical and southern U.S. regions
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Culex tarsalis
an important western U.S. vector
Culex
Culex tarsalis
an important western U.S. vectorSimplified illustration — confirm specimens with a regional identification key.
Brown mosquito with banded legs and a noticeable pale band around the proboscis.
Often active after sunset; feeds on birds and mammals, helping bridge viruses to people and horses.
Most important in western and central regions
Rural and irrigated landscapes, wetlands and other standing-water habitats
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Aedes triseriatus
the eastern tree-hole mosquito
Aedes
Aedes triseriatus
the eastern tree-hole mosquitoSimplified illustration — confirm specimens with a regional identification key.
Dark mosquito with pale lateral markings; identification is less obvious than the striped invasive Aedes.
Breeds in tree holes and water-filled artificial containers; often associated with wooded settings.
Wooded regions east of the Rocky Mountains
La Crosse encephalitis occurs most often in the upper Midwest and parts of Appalachia
Quick reference: mosquito, geography and disease
Search by mosquito, region or disease. Tap a name to open its ID card.
| Mosquito | Typical geography | Most recognized disease links |
|---|---|---|
| Aedes aegypti | Tropics/subtropics; warmer U.S. | Dengue, Zika, chikungunya, yellow fever |
| Aedes albopictus | Broad temperate + tropical range | Dengue, chikungunya, Zika |
| An. gambiae group + An. quadrimaculatus | Africa + eastern U.S. | Malaria |
| Culex pipiens complex | Temperate and tropical regions | West Nile, St. Louis encephalitis |
| Culex tarsalis | Western/central North America | West Nile, western equine encephalitis |
| Aedes triseriatus | Eastern North America | La Crosse encephalitis |
Remember: vector competence, local infection, weather and human exposure all affect actual risk.
Identify the pattern.
Reduce the habitat.
Prevent the bite.
Notice markings, resting posture and biting time.
Empty standing water; cover containers; maintain screens.
Check the species’ likely region and breeding habitat.
Use Summit® Mosquito Dunks®, Mosquito Chunks® and Mosquito Bits® to treat any bodies of standing water to kill mosquitoes before they are old enough to bite!
If illness follows mosquito exposure, contact a healthcare professional and share travel history.
Sources & illustration notes
Illustrations are educational reconstructions generated for this learning aid. Use identification keys or local vector-control experts for specimen-level identification. Geographic presence does not by itself mean local disease transmission.
- cdc.gov/mosquitoes/about/about-mosquitoes-in-the-united-states.html
- cdc.gov/west-nile-virus/causes/index.html
- cdc.gov/mosquitoes/about/culex-mosquitoes.html
- cdc.gov/dpdx/malaria/index.html
- cdc.gov/dengue/transmission/index.html
- cdc.gov/mosquitoes/php/toolkit/potential-range-of-aedes.html
- who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/yellow-fever
- cdc.gov/dengue/stories/unwanted-mosquitoes.html
- cdc.gov/malaria/data-research/index.html
- cdc.gov/malaria/causes/index.html
- ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN791
- cdc.gov/west-nile-virus/data-maps/index.html
- who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/lymphatic-filariasis
- cdc.gov/eid/article/16/8/10-0483_article
- cdc.gov/eid/article/16/5/10-0170_article
- cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00001042.htm
- cdc.gov/mosquitoes/prevention/index.html
- epa.gov/insect-repellents/find-repellent-right-you
