Mosquitoes are members of the family Culicidae. Important genera include Aedes, Anopheles, Culex, Culiseta, and Psorophora. Although they are tiny, fragile dipterans, mosquitoes are perhaps some of the most voracious of the blood-feeding arthropods.
Approximately 300 mosquito species have been described worldwide, with approximately 150 species found in the temperate regions of North America. Mosquitoes are found in such diverse areas as salt marshes of the coastal plains, snow pools above 4,300 m (14,000 feet), and the gold mines of India 1,100 m (3,600 feet) below sea level (1). The volume of water in which mosquitoes will breed ranges from that within an empty can or tree hole to large shallow pools of standing water from either rain or snowmelt. (See also .)
Ochlerotatus geniculatus, a native European tree-hole breeding mosquito.
Courtesy of ABOL/HP Fuehrer Vetmeduni Vienna.
Mosquitoes lay their eggs either on the surface of standing water (eg, Aedes and Psorophora spp) or on a substrate (eg, damp soil) where the eggs hatch after inundation from rainfall, irrigation, snowmelt, etc. Larval mosquitoes are known as wrigglers, whereas pupal mosquitoes are known as tumblers. These stages are always aquatic and are found in a wide variety of habitats. Large numbers of mosquitoes can be produced from eggs laid in relatively small bodies of water. Some species have several generations per year.
The flight habits of adult mosquitoes vary with the species; some Aedes spp migrate many miles for their aquatic larval habitat. In strong winds, mosquitoes can be carried great distances. Some species overwinter as eggs, whereas others overwinter as adults.
Pathology of Mosquitoes
Only female mosquitoes actively take a blood meal so that they can lay eggs (see Aedes sp ). Males feed on nectar, plant juices, and other liquids. Mosquitoes annoy production animals, cause blood loss, and transmit disease. Also, the toxins injected at the time of biting can cause systemic effects. The feeding of large numbers of swarming mosquitoes can cause anemia in domestic animals.
Aedes sp mosquito after a blood meal.
Courtesy of ABOL/HP Fuehrer Vetmeduni Vienna.
Although they are known for transmitting malaria, yellow fever, dengue, and elephantiasis in humans, mosquitoes are probably best known in veterinary medicine as the intermediate host for the canine heartworm, Dirofilaria immitis, and as the vectors of equine viral encephalitides, including West Nile virus. Dogs and cats are rarely infected with West Nile virus via the bite of a mosquito and remain clinically normal. Currently, no evidence exists that dogs or cats can become infected with Zika virus, another mosquito-borne virus.
Various mosquito species are prevalent in certain areas:
Historically, Anopheles quadrimaculatus has been the primary vector for malaria (Plasmodium spp) in humans in North America.
Aedes aegypti is the yellow fever mosquito, transmitting this virus among humans.
Psorophora columbiae is a severe pest of both production animals and humans in the rice fields of Louisiana and Arkansas.
Culex tarsalis is an important vector of western equine encephalitis and is found in the western, central, and southern US.
Aedes vexans is an important nuisance species found in the Midwest (see ).
Aedes albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito, is an Asian species that also transmits yellow fever, dengue, and equine encephalitis.
Certain Mansonia spp are severe pests of production animals in Florida.
In Central and South America, the adult female botfly Dermatobia hominis fastens its eggs to a species of Psorophora mosquito, which then transmits them to the mammalian host during feeding.
Aedes vexans (inland floodwater mosquito or tomguito), a widespread and frequently encountered pest mosquito.
Courtesy of ABOL/HP Fuehrer Vetmeduni Vienna.
Diagnosis of Mosquitoes
Adult mosquitoes are most often collected using mosquito traps in the field and are not found on animals. Adults are 3–6 mm long and slender, with small, spherical heads and long legs. The wing veins, body, head, and legs are covered with tiny, leaf-shaped scales. The long, filamentous antennae have 14–15 segments and are plumose in the males of most species. They also have proboscides designed for lacerating tiny blood vessels and sucking up pooled blood. Identification of the plethora of mosquito species (adult, larval, and pupal stages) is best left to an entomologist.
Treatment and Control of Mosquitoes
Systematic elimination and modification of aquatic and semiaquatic environments
Use of approved repellent and insecticide products
Area control of mosquitoes usually involves the cooperation of many individuals and can be accomplished successfully by experienced personnel with proper equipment. Areas that can serve as breeding sites for mosquito larvae should be eliminated or modified. In addition, area programs generally include extensive use of larvicides; however, mosquito larvicides can disrupt the normal ecological balance within an ecosystem. The use of various species of fish as biological controls has been successful (2). In massive emergence of adult mosquitoes, particularly when disease transmission is a concern, application of an insecticide active against the adult might be necessary.
Caution is advised with area treatment programs because many nontarget organisms (eg, fish, shrimp, bees) can be exposed to insecticides. A local extension entomologist should be consulted regarding appropriate materials for use on animals or within premises. Large-scale programs usually are coordinated by mosquito abatement district or other government agencies.
It is difficult for individual producers to protect their animals; residual sprays on the animals do not prevent feeding females from landing, and currently available repellents do not confer adequate protection during massive emergence. Protection from adult mosquitoes can be provided by ground and, in some cases, aerial application of an insecticide at the time of emergence. Depending on local conditions, this protection might be of short duration. Valuable animals should be housed in closed or screened buildings and the mosquitoes inside killed with a fog or aerosol formulation of an approved insecticide. Temporary relief can be afforded by a commercially available spray or wipe-on material.
Walking pets or allowing pets free outdoor access in the early morning or early evening hours when adult mosquitoes are most abundant should be avoided to decrease exposure to mosquito bites.
In dogs, topical formulations containing imidacloprid and permethrin have been used for the prevention and treatment of ticks and fleas and for protection against mosquito bites, with efficacy persisting for up to 4 weeks (3). Importantly, permethrin-containing formulations used in dogs are not registered for use in cats and must not be applied to cats because of their increased susceptibility to pyrethroid toxicosis.
Mosquitoes are not attracted to light; thus, electrocution devices are not helpful in mosquito control and might actually be detrimental, because they can destroy beneficial insects that prey on mosquitoes.
A combination of two compounds, imidacloprid and permethrin, works to repel and kill the many species of blood-feeding mosquitoes that often feed on dogs. Similarly, a combination of fipronil and permethrin in a solution for spot-on application was shown to be safe and efficacious in dogs in controlling mosquito infestations (4). Monthly application of these products repels and kills mosquitoes, preventing their blood-feeding activity and ostensibly helping to prevent transmission of organisms such as Dirofilaria immitis from dog to dog.
Combination imidacloprid and permethrin products must not be used on cats.
Pearls & Pitfalls
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For More Information
Mosquito control. EPA.
Also see pet owner content regarding flies and mosquitoes of dogs, cats, and horses.
References
Wilkerson RC, Linton YM, Strickman D. Mosquitoes of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press. 2021.
Chandra G, Bhattacharjee I, Chatterjee SN, Ghosh A. Mosquito control by larvivorous fish. Indian J Med Res, 2008;127(1):13-27. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/5535111
Machida H, Kondo T, Kanehira K, Hagimori I, Kamio T. The inhibitory effect of a combination of imidacloprid and permethrin on blood feeding by mosquitoes in dogs raised under outdoor conditions. Vet Parasitol. 2008;154(3-4):318-324. doi:10.1016/j.vetpar.2008.03.004
Fankhauser B, Dumont P, Hunter JS 3rd, et al. Repellent and insecticidal efficacy of a new combination of fipronil and permethrin against three mosquito species (Aedes albopictus, Aedes aegypti and Culex pipiens) on dogs. Parasit Vectors. 2015;8(64). doi:10.1186/s13071-015-0691-y
