What insect carries the organism that causes malaria?

The insect that carries the organism causing malaria is the mosquito, specifically infected female mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles. They transmit malaria parasites in the genus Plasmodium when they bite humans.

A mosquito becomes capable of spreading malaria after feeding on an infected person. The parasites develop inside the mosquito and eventually move to its salivary glands. During a later bite, the mosquito injects parasites into another person, beginning a new infection. Only female mosquitoes bite because they need blood to develop their eggs.

The best-known malaria vector is Anopheles gambiae, although many Anopheles species can transmit malaria in different regions. The mosquito does not create the disease; it acts as the biological vector that carries Plasmodium between hosts. This is why “mosquito” is the standard quiz answer, while “Anopheles” provides the more precise scientific identification.