Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are fragile, tiny winged insects about half an inch in length. They drink blood and make a very annoying, whining, buzzing sound (caused by their wings rapidly beating hundred of times per second), and they spread diseases such as malaria.
It is believed mosquitoes have been around for millions of years, and despite people's efforts to control them, they thrive with a vengeance. Here is some information about mosquitoes.
The Mosquito Life Cycle
The lifecycle of a mosquito includes four stages: egg, pupa, larva and adult. This is known as metamorphosis. The eggs are laid on water, which then hatch into larvae. The larvae live just under the water's surface before turning into pupae. An adult mosquito eventually emerges from each pupa.
Eggs are either laid next to each other on the surface of standing water where they stick together to form a floating 'raft' of 100-400 eggs, or they are laid individually on damp soil or water depending on the species of mosquito. Some species of mosquito can produce thousands of eggs in one lifetime.
In general, adult mosquitoes live for about 2 weeks, but can survive for up to 30 days before they succumb to a predator or adverse environmental conditions. Males live for a shorter time than females.
Mosquito Bites
Both male and female mosquitoes feed on plant nectar, but only female mosquitoes 'bite', or drink blood. Females need the protein from the blood of humans and animals in order to develop their eggs; males do not lay eggs.
During the day, mosquitoes prefer to rest in shady areas out of the heat of the sun, and they are less likely to be active. Mosquitoes tend to go about their business after sunset when it is cooler and the air is moist, so this is when it is necessary to take extra precautions against mosquito bites.
However, even if it is a scorching hot day, it is still possible to get bitten by mosquitoes. The Aedes mosquito is known to bite in the day.
Mosquito Species
It is thought there are over 2500 different species of mosquito present throughout the world. Species of mosquito belonging to the genus Anopheles are responsible for spreading malaria, while those belonging to the genus Aedes spread dengue fever and yellow fever. The genus Culex transmits west nile virus and Japanese encephalitis.
Mosquito Predators
Some natural predators of mosquitoes include certain species of fish, such as Mosquitofish and Guppy, which prey on the larvae and pupae of mosquitoes. Dragonflies also eat mosquitoes, either catching them in mid-flight or hunting down mosquito larvae when they themselves are underwater larvae, or 'nymphs'. Birds and bats also eat mosquitoes.