Which mosquito life stage is responsible for blood feeding?

The life stage responsible for blood feeding in mosquitoes is the adult stage. Adult female mosquitoes require blood meals to develop their eggs. They have specialized mouthparts, called proboscis, that allow them to pierce the skin of their hosts and draw blood. This nutrient-rich blood is essential for the reproductive cycle of female mosquitoes, enabling them to produce and lay eggs. Males, on the other hand, do not feed on blood; they primarily feed on nectar and other plant sugars.

In contrast, the other stages—eggs, larvae, and pupae—do not engage in blood feeding. Eggs are laid by adult females and are the initial life stage, while larvae and pupae are aquatic stages that primarily feed on organic matter and microorganisms present in their environment. Therefore, the adult stage is the only phase in a mosquito's life cycle that performs blood feeding.