Now you will learn about the life cycle of the vector of the malaria parasite, the mosquito. Mosquitoes have four different stages in their life cycle: the egg, larva, pupa and adult (see Figure 5.6). The first three stages are immature and are found in water collections. The adult is a flying insect. The time taken for the different stages to develop depends on temperature and nutritional factors in their environment. Development takes a shorter time at higher temperatures.