Which mosquito life stage is not affected by pesticides?

Which mosquito life stage is not affected by pesticides?

• A. Egg
• B. Larva
• C. Pupa
• D. Adult

Answer: (C)

Pesticide effectiveness depends on how the chemical reaches the insect and how active its biology is at that life stage. The pupal stage is a non-feeding, largely dormant phase during metamorphosis, enclosed in a protective puparium. Because it doesn’t feed, there’s little uptake of toxins that rely on ingestion, and its tissues are less exposed to contact pesticides. Its metabolism is greatly reduced compared with feeding larvae and flying adults, so many pesticides that kill larvae or adults don’t affect pupae. As a result, the pupal stage is generally not affected by standard mosquito pesticides.

Pesticide effectiveness depends on how the chemical reaches the insect and how active its biology is at that life stage. The pupal stage is a non-feeding, largely dormant phase during metamorphosis, enclosed in a protective puparium. Because it doesn’t feed, there’s little uptake of toxins that rely on ingestion, and its tissues are less exposed to contact pesticides. Its metabolism is greatly reduced compared with feeding larvae and flying adults, so many pesticides that kill larvae or adults don’t affect pupae. As a result, the pupal stage is generally not affected by standard mosquito pesticides.