Factors That Affect the Mosquito Life Cycle

In this lab activity, students rear mosquitoes to test variables that might affect the mosquito life cycle.

Mosquitoes transmit a number of deadly and infectious diseases, such as malaria, West Nile fever, and dengue fever. Studying the life cycles of arthropod vectors, such as mosquitoes, may lead to the development of strategies for limiting, or even stopping, the spread of the disease-causing bacteria, viruses, and protozoa they transmit.

In this activity, students rear and observe mosquitoes in breeding chambers to test variables that might affect the life cycle of the mosquito. Students select a question of interest to investigate, design the protocol for experimentation, and carry out the investigation.

The “Activity Guidelines” document provides guidance on experimental design, writing a formal lab report, and a sample grading rubric. The “Mosquito Reference Document” provides information and illustrations about the mosquito life cycle.