Bug FAQCrabhole Mosquito
Deinocerites cancer · Order: Diptera · Family: Culicidae
Crabhole mosquitoes live in mangrove swamps, salty marshes and the holes made by land crabs. Females feed mainly on wading birds and occasionally on rabbits. Males mate with female pupae before they emerge, a rare pupal mating system similar to Opifex fuscus.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They are commonly found in mangrove swamps and grassy salt marshes. They also live in the holes created by land crabs.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Female mosquitoes feed about 75% on birds, especially wading species, and 25% on mammals such as rabbits.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Males copulate with female pupae before they fully emerge or shortly after emergence. This pupal mating behavior is similar to that of Opifex fuscus.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Their range includes Florida, the Bahamas, the Greater Antilles (except Puerto Rico), and parts of coastal Central America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 1 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Florida.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
Questions people ask
Where does the crabhole mosquito live?
It lives in mangrove swamps, salty marshes and the holes made by land crabs.
Source: Wikipedia
What does the crabhole mosquito feed on?
Females feed mainly on wading birds and occasionally on rabbits.
Source: Wikipedia
How do crabhole mosquitoes mate?
Males mate with female pupae before they emerge, a pupal mating system like that of Opifex fuscus.
Source: Wikipedia
What region are crabhole mosquitoes found in?
They are found in Florida, the Bahamas, the Greater Antilles (except Puerto Rico) and coastal Central America.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Culicidae)
Asian Tiger MosquitoAedes albopictusCan spread germs or disease
House Mosquito ComplexCulex pipiensCan spread germs or disease
Yellow Fever MosquitoAedes aegyptiCan spread germs or disease
Inland Floodwater MosquitoAedes vexansCan spread germs or disease
Asian Bush MosquitoAedes japonicusCan bite
Southern House MosquitoCulex quinquefasciatusCan spread germs or diseaseSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deinocerites_cancer
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.