About Wyeomyia smithii (Coquillett, 1901)
The life cycle of Wyeomyia smithii starts when an adult female lays eggs inside the phytotelma of a purple pitcher plant, either in late spring or early fall. The eggs gestate inside the pitcher plant for between 1 to 8 days before hatching into larvae. The larvae stay within the phytotelma, feeding on bacteria, micro-animals, and decaying insects. The mosquito larvae remain living in the pitcher plant until they complete their fifth instar, which occurs roughly 20 to 22 days after hatching. After this stage, they emerge as fully developed adult mosquitoes ready to mate. Female Wyeomyia smithii typically produce a clutch of fertilized eggs within two days of reaching sexual maturity. Some populations of this species located in the southern United States are known to drink blood after producing their first clutch, to support development of a second clutch. However, there are no recorded observations of this behavior in northern populations.
