Which life stages of mosquitoes are typically found in water?

Mosquitoes undergo a complex life cycle that includes several stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Among these, the egg, larval, and pupal stages are typically found in water.

The eggs of mosquitoes are often laid on or near the surface of water, and when they hatch, they develop into larvae that live in water. The larvae feed on microorganisms and organic matter in the water and are adapted to an aquatic environment. After the larval stage, mosquitoes enter the pupal stage, which also occurs in water. Pupae do not feed, but they are still aquatic and will eventually emerge as adult mosquitoes.

Understanding that all these stages are dependent on aquatic environments highlights the importance of controlling standing water to manage mosquito populations effectively. The adult mosquitoes emerge from the pupal stage to continue their life cycle on land, but they begin and spend significant portions of their early life in water.