{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "mosquito",
  "name": "Mosquito",
  "scientificName": "Culicidae",
  "category": "Insect",
  "summary": "Mosquitoes are small biting flies of the family Culicidae, only about 3 to 6 mm long, found worldwide wherever there is standing water. Both sexes feed on nectar, but females also drink blood to develop their eggs, and in doing so they spread diseases such as malaria that make the mosquito the deadliest animal to humans. Adults fly slowly, at around 2.5 km/h (1.5 mph), and live only a few weeks. The IUCN lists them as Least Concern.",
  "conservationStatus": "Least Concern",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Arthropoda",
    "class": "Insecta",
    "order": "Diptera",
    "family": "Culicidae",
    "genus": null
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 0.0000025,
    "lengthM": 0.006,
    "topSpeedKmh": 2.5,
    "lifespanYears": 0.1
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Family Culicidae"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Nectar; females also drink blood"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Worldwide near standing water"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "Adults a few weeks"
    },
    {
      "label": "Size",
      "value": "About 3–6 mm long"
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "~2.5 km/h (1.5 mph)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Least Concern (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Found worldwide except Antarctica, breeding in standing water from the tropics to temperate zones.",
    "continents": [
      "Africa",
      "Asia",
      "Europe",
      "North America",
      "South America",
      "Oceania"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "IUCN Red List — Culicidae.",
      "url": "https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Culicidae&searchType=species"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Wikipedia — Mosquito.",
      "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquito"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/mosquito/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/mosquito/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}