How Many Mosquitoes Are There in the World?

How Many Mosquitoes Are in the World?

It’s impossible to accurately tabulate the number of mosquitoes in the world. The adult lives of mosquitoes are brief, rarely lasting more than 15 days. And female mosquitoes lay a clutch of 100-200 eggs every three days, laying as many as three sets of eggs before dying. With such a rapid reproduction cycle, the number of mosquitoes in our world is changing every second.
However, across the globe there are 3,500 different species of mosquito. These species are subdivided into 112 genus-species with the main distinction being preferred breeding habitat

How Many Species of Mosquitoes Are There in the World?

There are approximately 3,500 species of mosquitoes worldwide with around 175 residing in the United States. Most of the mosquitoes found within the United States fall into three genera: Aedes, Anopheles, or Culex genus.

Aedes
These mosquitoes can be identified by their narrow black bodies and legs with alternating bands of light and dark. They were originally found in the tropics but have spread throughout the world and are now found on all continents except Antarctica. Aedes mosquitoes are responsible for the spread of dengue fever.

Anopheles
Mosquitoes in this genus are the main transmitters of malaria throughout the world, though the species that live in the United States do not transmit malaria. 460 different species of mosquitoes have been identified within this genus, but not all of them are able to transmit disease.

Culex
Culex are often thought of as the common house mosquito, but are responsible for transmitting a number of diseases including West Nile Virus and encephalitis. In the United States, this mosquito can be found throughout the Southeast states.

While the total number of mosquitoes there are in the world is impossible to quantify, we do have an idea of the number of types and species. With 3,500 species worldwide, that’s certainly a lot of mosquitoes.

How Many Mosquitoes Are in Your Backyard?

To give you an idea of how hard it would be to determine a world population of mosquitoes, have you ever tried to count the mosquitoes flitting around your backyard? We’re willing to bet you haven’t. We’re also willing to bet that the thought of doing so is daunting. To get close enough to count them would surely requite sacrificing yourself to an uncomfortable excess of bites.

If it starts to feel like every mosquito is targeting your backyard, give your local Mosquito Joe a call or request a free quote and make the first step toward a mosquito-free yard!

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What Eats Mosquitoes? The Predators of Peskiness!

The whine of a mosquito in your ear is enough to drive you crazy and make you wish these pests had more natural predators. But what animals eat mosquitoes?

Even though they do not significantly reduce mosquito populations, there are several species of birds, bugs, and other creatures that include mosquitoes in their diet.

Let Mosquito Joe provide a helpful guide on what eats mosquitoes …

What Birds Eat Mosquitoes?  

Mosquitoes have several airborne adversaries including certain birds and their nocturnal winged relatives, bats. Here are a few winged species that feast on these minute menaces:

Purple Martins

Denizens of river and marsh areas, these songbirds can consume hundreds of mosquitoes in a single day.

Barn Swallow

Descending from above in swooping dives, these avian acrobats can snatch up to 60 mosquitoes per hour.

Waterfowl

Ducks and geese residing in marsh and wetlands commonly make easy meals of aquatic mosquito larvae.

Bats

While not of the avian persuasion, these nocturnal mammals are also insectivores that will not turn down a mosquito morsel.

What Animals Eat Mosquitoes?

Mosquitoes also face threats from frogs, turtles, and even fish:

Frogs

While not an integral part of the adult frog diet, the premature tadpole occasionally consumes mosquito larvae.

Turtles

Another aquatic predator, turtles such as the red-eared slider will make an easy meal of mosquito larvae.

Fish

Freshwater species such as bass, bluegill, and the aptly named mosquitofish are not hesitant to gulp down vulnerable mosquito larvae.

What Insects Eat Mosquitoes?

Mosquitoes also experience predation from other insects. Below are a few that consume mosquitoes:

Dragonflies

Though called “mosquito hawks,” adult dragonflies do eat mosquitoes, but most predation occurs when they are in their aquatic phase: dragonfly nymphs will feed on mosquito larvae.

Damselflies

Similar to the dragonfly, the damselfly also feasts on mosquito larvae while in the aquatic nymph stage of their life cycle.

Predacious Mosquitoes

Some mosquitoes will prey on their own kind, most specifically the mosquitoes belonging to genus Toxorhynchites, which are also known as elephant mosquitoes. This occurs in the larvae stage where these predatory mosquitoes will consume other mosquito larvae.

Spiders

Although technically not insects, arachnids will consume mosquitoes that become trapped in their webs.

The answer to the question, “What eats mosquitoes” includes adversaries from birds to bats, frogs to turtles, and even predatory types of their own species, yet the overall impact of natural predators on mosquito populations is negligible.

To take a real stand against the aggravating mosquito and dampen their presence in your yard, seek out the assistance of a mosquito control professional. Contact Mosquito Joe online or call today at 1-855-275-2563 today to reclaim your backyard and make outside fun again!

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