Subject: Water insect
Location: Salisbury, North Carolina
September 8, 2016 6:22 am
Good morning!
I found this little guy in water on my deck. It’s about 9/16 inches long and wiggles like a mosquito larvae. Any information on this would be very much appreciated.
Signature: Todd
Dear Todd,
This is a Mosquito Larva, commonly called a Wriggler. It will soon pupate into a Tumbler, a very active aquatic pupa. With the Zika scare, Southerners are being cautioned about standing water, which is a breeding ground for Mosquitoes. Mosquito larvae and pupae both need air to survive, and they generally congregate at the surface of the water where they can breed, but any disturbance sends them wriggling and tumbling beneath the surface for several minutes.
Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. I had no idea mosquito larva got this large.
Although I feel a little like I wasted your time, I appreciate it, just the same.