When mosquitoes are perched inactive, do they sleep or are they merely resting?

dsimpy

As far as I can make out, they're merely resting and will bite if disturbed. This lack of the need for sleep is probably related to the short lifespan of the adult mosquito (after the larval-pupa stage). Male adult mosquitoes generally live no longer than a week and female maybe just a week or so longer - needing time to lay eggs. I guess with such a short lifespan, and so much nectar- or blood-sucking to do, there's just no time to sleep! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquito Jul 13 10, 5:38 AM

star_gazer

“Do mosquitoes ever get to sleep at night?” Generally no. Mosquitoes are by nature nocturnal creatures. “Most mosquito species are either nocturnal or crepuscular and remain relatively inactive during the daylight hours.” “Natural resting sites for mosquitoes include dense vegetation, animal bur-rows, caves, and tree holes. Basements, stables, chicken coops, and culverts are examples of man-made structures harboring large diurnal populations of resting mosquitoes.” http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=160788 Jul 13 10, 8:40 PM