Laying Eggs
After a female mosquito receives a blood meal, it will look for a body of calm, still water to lay its eggs. It will either lay its eggs on the surface of the water or on the surface surrounding the water, depending on the species.
Larvae Stages
Once the eggs hatch, they go through 4 aquatic larvae stages, then molt into the pupae stage and emerge out of the water into mosquitoes. This process can take as little as 5 days.
Larvae Growth
Larvae grow from about 1/16 of an inch in the first stage to about 1/4 of an inch in the fourth stage. The larvae rest at the surface of the water, breathe through a siphon tube located at the end of their abdomen and dive to the bottom to feed on algae. Larvae will also dive to the bottom when disturbed and appear to wiggle.
Pupae Stage
During the pupae stage, no feeding takes place but the pupae still rest at the water's surface to breathe. The siphon tube is now located on the top of the pupae.
Life Span
Once an adult mosquito emerges, the average life span is about a month, but depending on the species it can be as short as a week or as long as 9 months.