Non-biting-mosquito
Guides
Toxorhynchites
elephant mosquitoes, mosquito eaters, giant treehole mosquitoes
Toxorhynchites is a genus of large, non-biting mosquitoes found in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Adults are active during daylight hours and feed exclusively on nectar, honeydew, and plant juices rather than blood. The genus includes the largest known mosquito species, reaching up to 18 mm in body length and 24 mm in wingspan. Larvae are obligate predators that consume other mosquito larvae and aquatic invertebrates, making them valuable for biological control of disease-vector mosquitoes.
Toxorhynchites rutilus
Elephant Mosquito, Treehole Predatory Mosquito, Predatory Tree-hole Mosquito
Toxorhynchites rutilus, commonly called the elephant mosquito, is a large predatory mosquito species native to North America. Adults are distinctive for their iridescent blue-purple coloration, large size, and non-biting habit—they feed exclusively on nectar and serve as pollinators. The larvae are obligate predators that consume other mosquito larvae, making this species valuable for biological control of disease-vector mosquitoes. A single larva may eat up to 5,000 prey larvae before maturing. The species has been employed in biocontrol programs targeting container-breeding Aedes mosquitoes.