''Anopheles punctipennis'', commonly called the Woodland Malaria Mosquito, is a species of

mosquito Mosquitoes, the Culicidae, are a Family (biology), family of small Diptera, flies consisting of 3,600 species. The word ''mosquito'' (formed by ''Musca (fly), mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish and Portuguese for ''little fly''. Mos ...

native to and found throughout

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

.''Anopheles punctipennis''.
Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.

Ecology

The

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

e of this species can be found in many kinds of natural and artificial water bodies, especially cool, clear waters such as streams. Females feed on blood, including the blood of humans, and may bite during the day or night. They generally stay outdoors and are rarely found inside dwellings.

Medical importance

This species vectors '' P. vivax and P. falciparum'', two

protozoan Protozoa (: protozoan or protozoon; alternative plural: protozoans) are a polyphyletic group of single-celled eukaryotes, either free-living or parasitic, that feed on organic matter such as other microorganisms or organic debris. Historically ...

species that cause human

malaria Malaria is a Mosquito-borne disease, mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects vertebrates and ''Anopheles'' mosquitoes. Human malaria causes Signs and symptoms, symptoms that typically include fever, Fatigue (medical), fatigue, vomitin ...

References

punctipennis Insect vectors of human pathogens Insects described in 1823 {{Culicidae-stub