In this article we will discuss about the life cycle of Anopheles with the help of a diagram.
Fig. 252 ANOPHELES LIFE CYCLE
The life cycle of Anopheles has following three stages:
The Eggs:
1. The eggs are whitish and boat-shaped.
2. 50 to 80 eggs are laid on water-surface singly and are floating horizontally through air floats.
3. In 24 hrs. they hatch into larvae.
The Larva:
1. The larvae are free swimming.
2. They lie horizontally parallel to the surface of water.
3. Their body is elongated, some what cylindrical and is divisible into head, thorax and abdomen.
4. The head bears paired antennae, eyes, feeding brushes and mandibuiate mouth parts.
5. Thorax is broad un-segmented and bears tufts of hair for swimming in water.
6. Abdomen is long, 9 segmented and is having palmate hairs.
7. The 8th segment bears a small siphon and paired spiracles on the dorsal surface.
8. Ninth segment bears two pairs of tracheal gills and two tufts.
9. It hatches out into pupa after 4 moultings.
The Pupa:
1. The body of pupa is comma shaped (,) and is covered over with a transparent puparium.
2. In pupa the head and thorax are united into cephalothorax which has become greatly distended and bears paired respiratory siphons, compound eyes, jointed antennae and rudiments of other appendages.
3. The abdomen is long, 9 segmented, curved and flexed completely below cephalothorax and bears palmate hairs and a pair of paddles attached to the 8th segment for swimming.
4. It metamorphoses into adult after a short- free swimming life.