Nearly 500 Anopheles species are recognized, only 30-40 transmit malaria in nature. Female Anopheles mosquito is a vector for Malarial parasite. Male mosquitoes do not bite. The adult females are generally short-lived, with only a small proportion living long enough to transmit malaria. Anopheles mosquitoes can be distinguished from other mosquitoes by the palps, which are as long as the proboscis, and by the presence of discrete blocks of black and white scales on the wings.
