''Anopheles punctipennis'' is a species of

mosquito Mosquitoes (or mosquitos) are members of a group of almost 3,600 species of small flies within the family Culicidae (from the Latin ''culex'' meaning " gnat"). The word "mosquito" (formed by ''mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish for "li ...

in genus ''Anopheles''. It is native to

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

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

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. The ...

e of this species can be found 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.This species is a

vector Vector most often refers to: *Euclidean vector, a quantity with a magnitude and a direction *Vector (epidemiology), an agent that carries and transmits an infectious pathogen into another living organism Vector may also refer to: Mathematic ...

of '' P. vivax'', one of the

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

ns that cause

malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...

.Jensen, T., et al. (1998)
Lake Vera revisited: parity and survival rates of ''Anopheles punctipennis'' at the site of a malaria outbreak in the Sierra Nevada foothills of California.
''The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene'', 59(4), 591-594.

References

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