Anopheles gambiae

Anopheles gambiae · Order: Diptera · Family: Culicidae

Can spread germs or disease. It spreads malaria and lymphatic filariasis to humans.

Source: Wikipedia, CDC

Anopheles gambiae
Photo: Content Providers(s): CDC/James Gathany Provider Email: jdg1@cdc.gov Photo Credit: James Gathany, Public domain

Anopheles gambiae is one of the most efficient carriers of malaria. It also transmits the parasite that causes lymphatic filariasis, leading to elephantiasis.

Source: Wikipedia

How to recognize it

Members of this species complex look very similar and are hard to tell apart, though larvae and adult females can sometimes be distinguished.

Source: Wikipedia

Is it a pest in the house?

Keep windows and doors closed or screened to keep these mosquitoes out of your home. Repair any broken screens on windows, doors, porches, or patios.

Source: CDC

Does it bite or sting?

It is a highly efficient malaria vector, and most malaria cases come from the bite of an infected mosquito. It also spreads Wuchereria bancrofti, the parasite that causes lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis).

Source: Wikipedia, CDC

Where it lives

Anopheles gambiae mainly feeds on humans rather than animals.

Source: Wikipedia

Questions people ask

Does Anopheles gambiae bite humans?

Yes, it bites humans and can transmit malaria and lymphatic filariasis.

Source: Wikipedia, CDC

What diseases does it spread?

It spreads malaria and the parasite that causes lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis).

Source: Wikipedia

How can I keep it out of my house?

Keep windows and doors closed or screened, and repair any broken screens.

Source: CDC

How can I tell Anopheles gambiae apart from similar mosquitoes?

They are very hard to distinguish visually; only larvae and adult females sometimes show differences.

Source: Wikipedia

Same family (Culicidae)

Asian Tiger MosquitoAsian Tiger MosquitoAedes albopictusCan spread germs or diseaseHouse Mosquito ComplexHouse Mosquito ComplexCulex pipiensCan spread germs or diseaseYellow Fever MosquitoYellow Fever MosquitoAedes aegyptiCan spread germs or diseaseInland Floodwater MosquitoInland Floodwater MosquitoAedes vexansCan spread germs or diseaseAsian Bush MosquitoAsian Bush MosquitoAedes japonicusCan biteSouthern House MosquitoSouthern House MosquitoCulex quinquefasciatusCan spread germs or disease

Sources

  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anopheles_gambiae
  • CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/malaria/about/index.html

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Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.

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