Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences

Medical Entomology
Lab Practical Handout

Block 2 (Man in the Environment)

Year 1, Semester 1 (21/22)

9-11am, Thursday 9th December 2021

AP Dr Nor Aliza Abdul Rahim

Dr Khatijah Yaman
Ms Azimah Ahmad

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 Table of Contents
Page
Introduction to lab practical 2
Laboratory objectives 2
Learning objectives 2
Practice questions 3
Characteristics of Anopheline and Culicine mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) 4
Eggs of mosquitoes 5
General morphology of an Anopheline mosquito larva 6
Anopheles larval posterior structure 7
General morphology of a Culicine mosquito larva 8
Aedes larval morphology 9
Aedes larval siphon 10
Ae. albopictus and Ae. aegypti comb scales 10
Culex larval morphology 11
Culex larval siphon 12
Mansonia pupa, larva and larval siphon 12
General diagram of a female adult mosquitoes 13
Head structures of Anopheline versus Culicine mosquitoes 14
Anopheles wing pattern 15
Culex tarsus on tip of leg 15
Culex and Aedes wing patterns 16
Thoracic patterns of Ae. albopictus and Ae. aegypti adult mosquitoes 17
Mansonia adult mosquitoes’ scales on wing and leg 18
Lice (Anoplura) 19
Fleas (Siphonaptera) 20
Bedbugs (Hemiptera) 21
House flies (Diptera: Muscidae) 22
House dust mites (Pyroglyphidae) 23

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A Introduction to online lab practical:

This lab session will give the opportunity for students to have a closer look at mosquito
vectors causing common diseases in Malaysia. These mosquitoes are vectors of dengue and
dengue hemorrhagic fever, malaria, filariasis and Japanese encephalitis. The materials are
pictures from mosquito collections and samples purchased from scientific companies. Take
time to recognize parts of mosquito that are important for identification. Other groups of
medically important insects are also provided such as lice, fleas, bedbugs, house flies and
house dust mites. Identify mosquitoes and other insects’ major morphological characters and
relate them to the diseases/discomfort they cause to human. Good luck!
B Laboratory activities:

During this lab session, student will:

1. study four mosquito genuses; Anopheles, Aedes, Culex and Mansonia from the
subfamily of Anophelinae and Culicinae.
2. study the two species of Aedes (Ae. albopictus and Ae.aegypti)
3. study the differences between male and female adult mosquitoes
4. study the eggs, larval and adult stage of each mosquito genus
5. study the morphology of lice, fleas, bedbugs, house flies and house dust mites.
6. relate each genus of mosquitoes and other insects to the disease/discomforts they
commonly caused
C Learning objectives:

At the end of this lab session students should be able to:

1. list the genus which belong to Anopheline and Culicine mosquitoes
2. differentiate between male and female adult mosquitoes
3. differentiate between Anopheles, Aedes, Culex and Mansonia eggs, larvae and adults
5. differentiate between Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus larvae
6. differentiate between Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus adult
7. relate the common diseases vectored by each genus of mosquito observed in the lab
8. identify lice, fleas, bedbugs, house flies and house dust mites and state their medical
importance.

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D Practice questions:

1 State the genus of the subfamily Anopheline mosquito that you learn in this lab.

2 State the subfamily that the genus of Culex , Aedes and Mansonia belong to.

3 State the morphological appearance of Culex, Aedes, Mansonia and Anopheles eggs.

State the genus of mosquito larva that does not have a siphon, has a modified siphon, has a long
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siphon and has a barrel-shaped siphon.

State the major difference between male and female adult mosquito antenna, and state which of
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the mosquito blood feed?

State the morphological characteristics of the wings that separate Anopheles adult from Culex and
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Aedes adult?

State morphological characteristics separate Culex adult from Aedes adult based on body color and
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pattern?

8 State ONE major characteristic that differentiate between Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus adult.

9 State TWO major characteristics that differentiate between Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus larvae.

10 State ONE the morphological characteristics of lice.

11 State TWO morphological characteristics of fleas.

12 State ONE morphological characteristic of bedbugs.

13 State morphological characteristics of house fly antenna.

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Characteristics of Anopheline and Culicine mosquitoes

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Eggs of mosquitoes

5
General morphology of an Anopheline mosquito larva

6
Anopheles larval posterior structure (absence of siphon)

7
General morphology of a Culicine mosquito larva

8
Aedes larval morphology

9
Aedes larval siphon

Ae. albopictus and Ae. aegypti larval comb scales

10
Culex larval morphology

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Culex larval siphon

Mansonia pupa, larva and larval siphon

12
General diagram of a female adult mosquito

13
Head structures of Anopheline versus Culicine mosquitoes

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Anopheles wing pattern

Culex tarsus on tip of leg

15
 Aedes and Culex wing patterns

Culex wing

Aedes wing

Aedes and Culex generally have a clear wing patterns with

uniform scales throughout their wings

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Thoracic patterns of Ae. albopictus and Ae. aegypti adult mosquitoes

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Mansonia adult mosquitoes’ scales on wing and leg

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Louse (Anoplura)

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Flea (Siphonaptera)

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Bedbug (Hemiptera)

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 Housefly (Musca domestica)

Housefly ‘aristate’ antennae

Housefly mouthpart

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