Order

The order Diptera; two-winged flies including house-flies, stable-flies, blue-bottles, tsetse-flies and many others.
The hind wings are modified as the halteres, small organs that vibrate during flight and are believed to have a gyroscopic function providing a constant flight attitude.

Suborder

The suborder Nematocera is including midges, sand flies, black flies, mothflies, harlequin-flies and mosquitoes.

Family

Some 3500 species and subspecies of mosquitoes exist, belonging to 42 subgenera, all within the family Culicidae. The species most concerned with transmission of infections to humans and animals are contained in the genera Anopheles, Culex, Aedes, Ochlerotatus (formerly a subgenus of Aedes) and Mansonia.
The family Culicidae is separated into three subfamilies: Anophelinae, Toxorhychitinae and Culicinae.

Subfamilies and genera

Anophelinae: Anophelines contain the genus Anopheles and two other genera of no medical importance. Anopheles species are the main transmitter of malaria.
Toxorhynchitinae: Toxorhynchitinae with just one genus, Toxorhynchites, contains only species which are incapable of blood-feeding and consequently are not disease vectors. Their enormous larvae eat other mosquito larvae.
Culicinae: Within the subfamily of the culicines there are about 2000 species, including the important genera Culex, Aedes and Mansonia.