Anopheles gambiae mosquito feeding. Lateral view of a female A. gambiae mosquito feeding on human skin. It has inserted its sharp, needle-like labrum and is using it to extract blood, which is filling its abdomen that has become enlarged due to its blood meal contents. A droplet of blood is being expelled from the distal tip of the abdomen. A. gambiae is a known vector for the parasitic disease malaria. Malaria is caused by the Plasmodium falciparum parasite, which is transmitted into the bloodstream by mosquito bites. Malaria results in cyclic fevers and can kill. It affects millions of people in tropical and subtropical regions of the world.