2023-04-17 16:29:26
Knowing the life cycles of Aedes aegypti helps to understand why it is important to avoid the accumulation of water inside homes.
Aedes aegypti: mosquito that transmits dengue
In recent weeks, there has been a significant increase in the number of dengue cases in our country. The latest official figures indicate that there are more than 41,200 infected people and that the circulation of the virus has been identified in 15 provinces in the center, north, northwest and northeast.
Dengue is a viral disease that is transmitted through the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito. It can only be spread this way, never from one person to another.
Dengue: at what temperature does the Aedes agypti mosquito survive?
When the mosquito feeds on the blood of a person with dengue and then bites other people, it infects them with this disease.
To emphasize the importance of the daily destruction of breeding sites of the transmitting vector, it is essential to know more about its life cycle, phases, and behavior in the environment.
First stage: the aquatic phase and the changes of the egg
Initially, the eggs are white in color and over time they darken due to contact with oxygen. They are approximately 0.4 mm long and difficult to see with the naked eye.
The eggs are deposited by the walls of the containers, so it is important to brush the containers that cannot be removed; since the eggs can remain attached and viable for more than a year until they have contact with water again to continue the growth process.
Second stage: the aquatic phase and the larva
The larvae go through four instars and have an elongated body, divided into a head, thorax, and abdomen.
They are very sensitive to light, a condition known as negative phototropism, which is why they look for the darkest parts of the hatchery in order to survive, feed and continue with the other stages.
Third stage: what is the pupa
The pupae are comma-shaped and the body divided into two parts: cephalothorax and abdomen. It is the stage between the larvae and the adult mosquitoes.
This stage lasts two to three days, depending on the temperature of the hatchery water. During this period they do not feed and spend most of their time breathing on the surface of the container.
Fourth stage: the air phase and the adult mosquito
Aedes aegypti is dark in color with white spots, consisting of a head, thorax, and abdomen. It is much more active during the day, especially in the early morning and late afternoon.
It is discreet and domiciliary, its presence is rarely noticed when it is feeding on blood and it flees at any sudden movement.
It lives between two weeks to a month and flies from 25 to 100 meters, rarely more than 500 meters. He is attracted to dark and bright colors.
The average life of an Aedes aegypti mosquito is three to four weeks. The male only ingests plant sap. The female feeds on blood and can lay up to an average of 1,500 eggs during her lifetime.
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