<p>Adults mate almost immediately after emerging.</p>    <p>Adults mate soon after emerging from their pupae. Females require blood meals to mature their fertilized eggs. Some species in the <span class="taxon"><em>Anopheles gambiae</em></span> complex are freshwater breeders while others prefer saltwater, but mosquito eggs must remain in contact with water to survive. Females lay their eggs singly on the surface of the water, up to 200 eggs at a time. The presence of water is necessary for the development of the eggs and larvae. Some species in the <span class="taxon"><em>Anopheles gambiae</em></span> complex prefer small, shaded pools and rice fields to lay their eggs, while others prefer water with a high salinity concentration. Despite the site preference, the pools of water are almost always exposed to direct sunlight.<span> (Comstock, 1920; Roberts, Janovy, and Jr., 2000)</span></p>  <p><strong>Key Reproductive Features: </strong>Iteroparous; Year-round breeding; Gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); Sexual; Fertilization; Fertilization :: Internal; Oviparous</p>