The difference between a mosquito is female and male. What do male mosquitoes eat? How to distinguish them from females? The structure of immature mosquitoes

What mosquitoes eat depends on gender, type, stage of development. Insects get most of the nutrients at the stage while in the water. In the future, they are enough nectar of flowers, pollen. However, to reproduce healthy offspring, you need a protein that is in the blood. For this reason, females attack animals, humans, birds.

The diet of the mosquito family

Few people know that mosquitoes eat, in addition to blood, nectar of flowers, juices, and pollen. Immediately after the birth of the young generation gathers in the grass near a lake, pond, swamp. For some time they lead a carefree life, content with a small amount of food. Then they gather in flocks, the mating season begins. It lasts about a week.

On a note!

The diet of the fertilized female changes significantly, she becomes aggressive,. Male mosquitoes continue to feed on plant foods, live in the wild, and do no harm to humans or animals.

Most representatives of the mosquito family in the forest, in the swamp, near the pond, as well as near a large puddle. To develop the larvae, you need stagnant water or moist soil. After drinking the blood, the female digests it for several days, and at this time, eggs form inside. After a few days, the mosquito lays them in a pond with stagnant water.

Females feed on animal blood in the forest. They attack almost everyone. by smell, radiated heat, carbon dioxide. Whether mosquitoes bite birds depends on the conditions in which the insect appeared. Mosquitoes can not starve for a long time, therefore, if necessary, attack birds to drink blood.

Interesting!

City mosquitoes are less aggressive, not so large, much weaker than swamp, forest. One of the reasons is that females lay eggs without the participation of males. And also able to reproduce, without drinking blood. In this case, the insect gives up its protein reserves, which are necessary for life, flight.

Physiological needs

Insects accumulate the main energy reserves at the larval stage, being adults, they can freely be content with flower nectar. Glycogen is released from its carbohydrates, which is actively consumed during the flight. The male mosquito lives about 20 days.

In addition to carbohydrates, a female needs protein, lipids, and iron. She receives these components from blood. With such a diet, on average, 40 days, in some cases, lives up to 60. If the eggs are laid without replenishment of protein reserves, the body weakens, the insect dies after 20 days. At one time, the female is able to eat about 5, 2 ml of blood, her weight is 3 g.

External differences between a female and a male mosquito

The usual mosquito family consists of males. Initially, the lifestyle of insects is no different. In the future, the female mosquito drinks blood, because it spends more energy. Male representatives continue to be content with the small, often gather on the flowers of a thistle, elderberry. Who bites - male or female, you can definitely answer "she".

What gender mosquitoes can be distinguished in appearance, if you look closely. Komarikhs are always larger, body size about 7 mm, males grow to a maximum of 5 mm. There are differences in the oral apparatus. Proboscis is present in both sexes, but in females there is an additional row with which it pierces the skin, prevents the wound from closing.

The main difference is in the shape of a mustache. A mosquito with a furry mustache is a male. Outwardly, they resemble a brush, clearly visible on a small head. In mosquitoes, they are long, in the form of twigs. What a male mosquito looks like is shown in the photo below. There you can see what a female mosquito looks like.

On a note!

About 100 live in our area. The most common ordinary. It lives in the wild, urban areas. The largest swamp mosquito in size. Urban weak, not so active, females grow to a maximum of 5 mm, males to 3. Another bright representative is. Outwardly differs in large sizes - up to 60 mm. It feeds on nectar, lives in the wild, does not need protein reserves, blood.

Where bloodsuckers live in the city

Since the development of larvae requires a humid environment, insects choose damp rooms with no sunlight, as well as drains, plums, garbage cans, pits, porches, puddles. In multi-storey buildings, they often settle in basements and sewers. They enter the house through a mine, ventilation grilles. The source of nutrition is humans, pets, rodents, plants.

An ordinary mosquito can bite in an apartment at night, in the afternoon. Leaves red spots on the body,. itch strongly, sometimes provoke. In most cases, the skin is restored within a week.

Mosquitoes are known firsthand. With the advent of summer, these insects, due to their biological characteristics of development, begin to bother everyone, without exception, from rural residents to those who live in large cities.

A person is one of the most favorite victims of mosquitoes, because hairless skin, small thickness of the skin and proximity to its surface of blood vessels provide fast blood supply to the insatiable abdomen, which means relative safety during feeding.

In this material we will dwell in more detail on some features of these insects, which, perhaps, will help to better understand why they behave this way, and otherwise. The article will be interesting to everyone who, for various reasons, has to contact mosquitoes.

Why do mosquitoes prefer humans?

Many of us, probably, noticed that mosquitoes bite someone so hard that they actually stick around the whole body with their invasion, and they hardly touch anyone. People often explain this fact by the fact that a person simply invents, paying more attention to bites, but is it really so, try to figure it out.

Mosquitoes - one of the types of insects in which sensitive organs are perfectly developed. They have receptors located almost throughout their bodies that can detect human odors up to several tens of meters. Our aromas are one of the main indicators that mosquitoes use to determine their prey. It is worth noting that in fact only female mosquitoes only bite. They need the protein contained in the blood so that the process of fertilizing their eggs is successful.

But be that as it may, mosquitoes bite not only people. Only some species have a preference for human blood, like Anopheles gambiae, which is capable of spreading one of the most dangerous diseases - malaria. Other insect species prefer bird blood, or amphibian blood. However, it is worth noting that most of them will drink the blood of any victim that will be found at the time of the search.

As already noted, mosquitoes find their prey by the smells that it exudes. Listed below are the main ones that attract these bloodthirsty insects.

Carbon dioxide

Carbon dioxide is one of the most attractive gases that attract mosquitoes like a magnet. There are many sources of carbon dioxide in nature, but not every one of them is an indicator of the presence of a suitable victim, but only one that is formed by living organisms.

Each time we exhale, in conjunction with carbon dioxide, we release additional chemicals such as octenol, lactic, uric and fatty acids, which are combined with carbon dioxide, to form our own unique cocktail of carbon dioxide. It is this combination of scents that tells mosquitoes that their target is nearby.

But this is far from all. Only some of the specific combinations of exhaled substances are more attractive to mosquitoes. The smell and amount of carbon dioxide on the exhale is unique for each person and his genetics, and, unfortunately, we can not do much to change this “attractiveness”, except for masking our smell.

Larger people exhale more carbon dioxide, so adult mosquitoes tend to bite more often than children. In addition, pregnant women also exhale chemicals above average amounts and therefore become more attractive to mosquitoes.

Body odor

Bacterial colonies, combined with the secretion of sweat glands, generate a specific, unique human smell, which we call body odor, which we always consider unpleasant. Without bacteria, our sweat would be odorless, but thanks to their activity, the secrets of our skin are one of the most attractive aromas for mosquitoes, particularly malaria, which, as already noted, prefers to bite people.

In this case, it is in our power to influence a similar situation. For example, regular body washing, at least twice a day, will significantly reduce the quality of body odor. But in relation to perfumes, you need to be careful, because they can actively attract mosquitoes from all around. In addition, it is worth noting that fresh sweat is not as attractive to insects as that which stands out on the surface of a body that has not undergone a week of hygienic treatment.

Skin discharge

The physiological characteristics of 80% of the total number of people are due to the very active process of secreting compounds known as saccharides and antigens through the pores of the skin. Do not confuse this process with normal sweating or sebum secretion. In most people, on the skin you can find almost the full composition of the periodic table, many of the biochemical compounds of which are a powerful magnet for mosquitoes.

Here, as in the very first version, this process is determined solely by the genetic characteristics of each individual and there is nothing that could be done to change this process.

Blood type

Depending on the blood type, the human excretory system secretes various aromas. Studies have shown that mosquitoes are most attracted to people with the first blood type, and the least - with the second. Naturally, nothing can be done here either.

Lactic acid

Lactic acid is always released through our skin, but its amount depends on physical activity or a diet containing certain foods. Mosquitoes are always more attracted to people with a high build-up of lactic acid on their skin. This effect can be affected by frequent washing with soap, especially after exercise. As for nutrition, lactic acid is one of the main products that is released during the digestion and assimilation of meat products.

It is worth noting that there are also other characteristics of the human body that mosquitoes respond to, such as temperature, humidity, movement and color shades, but in any case, our smells are the most important characteristics.

How mosquitoes breed - life cycle features

Like most insects, mosquitoes go through four stages of their life cycle - an egg, a larva, a chrysalis and an adult called an imago. In most species, adult females lay their eggs in stagnant water - some near the water's edge, others glue eggs on aquatic plants.

Each species selects the condition of the site and does it in accordance with its environmental adaptations. Depending on the species, mosquitoes are universal and not very finicky in the surrounding environment - they will suit both a large lake and a small temporary puddle, but for some, give swamps or salt marshes.

Most species, including the common mosquito, which is so familiar to us all, prefer to lay eggs on aquatic plants of natural reservoirs, rainwater accumulations in the openings of tree trunks, or even on drops of moisture collected on large leaves.

The first three stages of development are the egg, the larva and the pupa, mostly aquatic. These steps usually last from 5 to 14 days, depending on the type and temperature of the environment, but there are serious exceptions. Mosquitoes living in regions where severe winter frosts are observed, or vice versa - anhydrous droughts are possible, spend part of the year in diapause. During this period, they delay their development, usually within a few months, and return to activity only when there is enough water and heat for their needs.

Eggs and Oviposition

The ways mosquitoes lay their eggs vary widely between species, and the morphology of the eggs themselves is very different. The simplest procedure that many Anopheles species, like many other gracile species, follow, is that the females simply fly above the water, bouncing up and down on its surface and dumping eggs a few pieces directly into the water. The eggs of this common mosquito species are cigar-shaped, and in their upper part contain a small air chamber, which prevents them from sinking to a great depth.

Over the course of their lives, females of many common species can lay 100-200 eggs each. Even taking into account intergenerational mortality, within a few weeks, one successful pair of mosquitoes can create a population of thousands of insects.

Larva

The mosquito larva has a well-developed head with brushes in its mouth, which it uses for feeding, a large chest area without legs and a segmented abdomen.

The mosquito larva breathes through the spiracles located on the eighth abdominal segment, so it often has to float up to the surface of the water. Larvae spend most of their time eating algae, bacteria and other microorganisms, which are contained in large quantities in the surface microlayer.

During the period of his life, this form of the life cycle develops through four stages, after which it turns into a pupa. At the end of each age stage, the larvae molt, shedding their upper membranes, to ensure further growth of the body.

Doll

Seen from the side, the mosquito doll has the shape of a comma. The head and chest area merge into the cephalothorax, and the stomach bends downward. The doll can actively swim, turning over on its stomach. Like the larva, this stage of the life cycle of most mosquito species requires regular exit to the surface of the water in order to breathe. The process is carried out through a pair of breathing tubes located in the region of the cephalothorax.

It is worth noting that the pupae do not feed during this stage. As a rule, they spend time swimming on the surface of the water, exposing their breathing tubes. If something frightens them, for example, a dodging shadow, they dive promptly, but soon pop up again.

After a few days or longer, depending on temperature and other circumstances, the pupa rises to the surface of the water, dorsal up and turns into an adult mosquito.

Development timeline

The developmental period from an egg to an adult varies in different mosquito species and is highly dependent on ambient temperature. Some species can develop from an egg to an adult only five days, but a more typical period of development in tropical conditions will be about 40 days or more for most species. The change in body size in adult mosquitoes depends on the density of larval nutrition and the presence of food in the area of \u200b\u200bthe reservoir.

What the male mosquito eats and other features of mosquito biology

Adult mosquitoes usually take off during the first day after exiting the pupa. In most species, males form large flocks, usually within the shadow area, forming the well-known "mosquito column" where females gather and mating occurs.

The life span of a male mosquito, as a rule, is about 5-7 days, and they feed on nectar and other sources of sugar that plants give. But females after fertilization immediately set off in search of their potential victims. After receiving a full portion of blood, the female will rest for several days until the blood is digested and the eggs develop. This process is temperature dependent, but usually takes two to three days in tropical conditions. After the eggs are fully developed, the female lays them and continues to search for the next host.

A similar cycle is repeated until the female dies. Most of them do not live longer than one to two weeks in nature. Their lifespan depends on temperature, humidity, and the ability to successfully receive a portion of fresh blood, while avoiding the protection of the victim.

Of particular interest is the oral apparatus of the mosquito, which is an almost ideal system for obtaining blood. The insect head has an elongated shape, forward and protruding like a sting proboscis, which they use for feeding. In addition, in the “kit” there are two sensory tentacles with which the female looks for the most convenient place for puncture, because it is necessary that the skin in this place be thinner and the blood vessel closer. At the very end of the proboscis are the rudiments of the upper lip, with which the insect, like sharp razors, gnaws the upper layers of the skin of the victim.

Two channels pass through the proboscis cavity. One connects the working area of \u200b\u200bthe organ with the digestive system, and along the second, saliva is drawn into the bite site, which contains substances that prevent blood coagulation and light painkillers. So nature helps the insect to more successfully carry out the act of bloodsucking.

As for males, their oral apparatus is much simpler and more of a licking type than of a piercing-sucking one. This is enough for them to get the nutrients of the plant sap, which is what they eat all their short life.

People often ask what mosquitoes eat in swamps. As it has already become clear, the male is exclusively vegetable juices, and in any case the female will need blood, which means the victim containing it. If there is a shortage of warm-blooded creatures, female mosquitoes can quite successfully attack amphibians and reptiles, including swamp snakes, lizards, frogs and others. There are species that even bite fish.

The stomach of a female mosquito is intended not only for the digestion of blood, but also for the development of eggs. The digestive gut can accommodate a volume of blood that is three times the body weight of a female mosquito. This segment expands significantly during the bite process, which can be observed with the naked eye.

It is often believed that a mosquito is so insatiable that it can literally burst from an excess of blood. In fact, this is a myth. A female mosquito will drink exactly as much blood as she needs and not a microgram anymore. But no less, therefore, if her nutrition process is disrupted, she will again begin to search for the victim in order to supplement the missing volume.

In addition, mosquitoes are believed to be capable of transmitting infectious diseases if they have previously bitten an infected body. This is also a myth, because the blood that once got into the abdomen of a mosquito comes out from there, either in digested excrement, or after the destruction of the insect.

Through the alimentary canal connecting the proboscis and digestive gut of a mosquito, the movement of blood is possible only in one direction - to the gut.

If we talk about the inverse relationship in food chains, answering the question - which animal eats mosquitoes, then the answer will be very extensive. Mosquito eggs, their larvae and pupae are an excellent food for fish, frogs and water bugs. Those who eat mosquitoes when they have reached the adult stage include all species of birds, amphibians and reptiles. It must be said that mosquitoes occupy a strong place in the niche of the food chains, which should by no means be broken, for example, through the global use of insecticides.

It is a very positive insect, then certainly not much can be said positive about the hero of today's article - a mosquito. But you can say a lot of interesting things, for example, a mosquito is a very ancient representative of the fauna of our planet, these small flying bloodsuckers have bothered dinosaurs, and even today they are no less annoying.

Mosquito: description, structure, characteristic. What does a mosquito look like?

The mosquito belongs to the order of dipterans and the family of blood-sucking mosquitoes. Mosquitoes have been living on Earth for 145 million years.

The mosquito has a thin body from 4 to 14 mm in length. Mosquito wings are transparent, they reach up to 3 cm in diameter and are covered with small scales. The abdomen of a mosquito consists of ten segments. The long legs of the mosquito end with two claws.

The color of the mosquito, in addition to the usual black or brown, can be quite unusual, as in nature green, yellow, orange and red mosquitoes are found.

An interesting fact: among the large family of mosquitoes there are also wingless species.

Also, mosquitoes have a kind of antenna, consisting of 15 parts, on which are located the olfactory organs and auditory receptors, working on the principle of a temperature sensor. It is with the help of such an antenna that the mosquito finds its victim.

How many mosquitoes live

It is very curious that female mosquitoes live much longer than males, whose average life expectancy is only 17-19 days. The life expectancy of a female depends on the ambient temperature and can range from 40 to 120 days. True, given that it is the female mosquitoes that suck blood, their life often ends prematurely ...

Where mosquitoes live

Almost everywhere, with the exception of always cold Antarctica, but these insects are most common in areas with a hot and humid climate, where they remain active throughout the year. In temperate latitudes during the period of winter colds they fall into hibernation, awakening with the advent of spring. It is interesting that even in the Arctic for those few weeks when the heat comes there, mosquitoes breed with terrible force and very annoying the herds there.

What mosquitoes eat

It is probably no secret that blood is sucked exclusively by female mosquitoes, while males are quite harmless creatures. Male mosquitoes feed exclusively on nectar or plant sap.

But for the reproduction of offspring, females need protein food, which they just get from the blood, both humans and animals.

How a mosquito bites

Sitting on the skin of their prey, female mosquitoes gnaw a hole in the skin with sharp jaws, immerse their proboscis there, through which blood is sucked. Simultaneously with a bite, a special saliva is injected into the wound, which prevents blood from clotting, it is it that causes an allergic reaction in the form of itching, redness of the skin and swelling.

Are mosquitoes dangerous to humans

Yes, and it’s not only the swelling and unpleasant itching caused by mosquito bites, but the fact that many mosquitoes can be carriers of dangerous viruses and infections. Mosquitoes that live in the tropics of Asia, Africa and South America are especially dangerous, as they can be carriers of such dangerous diseases as malaria, encephalitis, yellow fever, Zika virus, West Nile fever, etc.

Enemies of mosquitoes

Of course, mosquitoes themselves have a lot of enemies in natural conditions, and so they and their larvae are a tasty treat for many insects, birds, fish and amphibians: frogs, newts, salamanders, dragonflies, spiders, aquatic,.

It is also very interesting that mosquito larvae often feed on the larvae of insects such as the swimming beetle and dragonfly.

The difference between a female and a male mosquito

The mosquito is male and female, what is the difference between them in appearance. First of all, in the structure of the oral organ - the male’s jaws are underdeveloped, because he does not need to gnaw through his skin in order to drink blood.

Types of mosquitoes, photos and names

In nature, there are a great many different types of mosquitoes, we will describe the most interesting of them:

Common mosquito (squeak)

It is the most common member of the mosquito family. It lives on a wide geographical area, it is these mosquitoes that often bother us during forest picnics, walks near ponds, or even just at home.

Mosquito centipede (karamora)

These mosquitoes live exclusively in places with high humidity: near ponds, swamps, in shady thickets. They are large in size as for mosquitoes - reach 4-8 cm in length. And also these mosquitoes are safe for humans, as they feed exclusively on nectar and plant juices, but can be harmful to farmland and forest plantations.

Malaria mosquito (anopheles)

Hionei (winter mosquitoes)

These mosquitoes are similar at the same time to large spiders and to centipedes. Nevertheless, they differ both from these and from these in their way of life. They differ from other mosquitoes in their ability to tolerate cold, and therefore winter mosquitoes can occur even in winter.

Also known as mosquito bells. It is a harmless representative of the mosquito family, as it eats exclusively plant foods. It lives mainly on the banks of water bodies. It differs from other mosquitoes in its appearance - it has a yellowish-green color with long limbs.

Breeding mosquitoes

The life cycle of a mosquito consists of four stages of development:

• Egg: every 2-3 days the female lays 30 to 150 eggs in the water, which mature from 2 to 8 days.
• Mosquito larva: emerges from an egg, then lives in a pond and feeds on local microorganisms. Breathes air through a special tube. During its development and formation, it goes through 4 molting, until, finally, it turns into a chrysalis.
• Pupa: its development also occurs in water and lasts up to 5 days. As it grows older, it changes color, becoming black.
• Imago: It is an adult mosquito living on land.

First, males fly into the light, having gathered in a swarm, they expect females to mate. After mating, the fertilized female goes in search of the blood she needs to lay her eggs.

How to get rid of mosquitoes at home

Sometimes mosquitoes have a bad habit of penetrating homes, bothering people in every way. As a means of protecting against mosquitoes, people have developed many tools, among which special mosquito nets will be very useful, preventing mosquitoes from entering the house through open windows.

Another effective mosquito repellent can be special repellents, odor emitting substances that repel mosquitoes, although their disadvantage may be that the smell of repellents can have a bad effect not only on mosquitoes, but also on people.

As a folk remedy for mosquito control, a geranium flowerpot is quite suitable, whose smell also scares away these flying bloodsuckers.

• It was the mosquito that played a key role in the good old science fiction film Jurassic Park, through the blood found in an ancient mosquito that got into amber, scientists were able to access the DNA of dinosaurs and thus “resurrect” these prehistoric dinosaurs.
• An average mosquito’s flight speed is 3.2 km per hour, but skillfully using air currents, mosquitoes can fly up to 100 km.
• The mosquito’s weight is so small that it will not cause hesitation on the web and will not attract the attention of the spider.

Mosquitoes, video

And finally, an interesting documentary about one dangerous type of mosquito - “mosquito killers”.

On Earth, there are more than 3,000 species and 38 subspecies of mosquitoes. They appeared more than 400 million years ago. We are better known for the common mosquito. These are blood-sucking insects, annoying to tourists, and residents of cities, and summer residents, and villagers. The squeak of their wings prevents them from falling asleep, after bites, redness appears on the skin and itches. The habitats of the bloodsuckers are very diverse. But we must remember that they love humidity, light and warm blood.

If you carefully consider the anatomical features and differences, you can notice a significant difference in the structure of the oral cavity of the male and female. Female individuals have a complex organization. The upper jaw cuts the skin. At the same time, movements are made and the bottom. After that, the female mosquito sucks out blood, injects a special anticoagulant enzyme. It does not allow blood to clot and causes itching, and in some cases even allergies. The danger lies in the fact that with the saliva the female can transmit infections transmitted by her.

Male diet

An aqueous solution of sugar is the basis of the composition of nectar. It contains essential oils, sugar in equal amounts. Sugar is an indispensable source of energy, and male mosquitoes have enough energy and calorie nectar to maintain vitality. Carbohydrates contained in plant cells are also energy-intensive, along with organic substances such as alkaloids, resins, fatty acids, tannins, etc. In addition, the plants have a complex of trace elements that ensure the full life of insects.

So, the answer to the question, what does the male mosquito eat, is quite simple. He eats nectar and plant juice. The difference between the diet of male and female is that female individuals still need the blood components of warm-blooded animals and people to continue the genus.

A mosquito is an insect known for its annoying squeak and sensitive bites, leaving swollen, itchy wounds on the skin.

What the mosquito eats

Mosquitoes are called bloodsuckers and bloodsuckers, and many mistakenly believe that blood is what mosquitoes constantly eat. However, this is not entirely true, only females need blood, and males do not drink blood at all. Moreover, some types of mosquito repellent flooring wallpapers are absolute vegetarians.

The passion of these insects for human and animal blood is scientifically substantiated, it is also known what mosquitoes eat when there are no donors nearby. And scientists have found that not every person attracts mosquitoes, certain people are bitten more willingly, and insects have good reasons for this. Why does the mosquito need blood, who are they, these strange insects with certain culinary preferences?

Who are mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are a family of insects from the order Diptera and suborder long-billed. Judging by the fossil remains, they appeared on the planet about 145 million years ago. For millennia, mosquitoes have been the constant pesky companions of man, but they received a scientific description only in 1758 thanks to the work of the Swedish scientist Karl Linnaeus.

According to modern classification, the mosquito family includes 38 genera, which number more than 3 thousand species. Insects have a characteristic mosquito appearance, but differ in some features of the structure, habitat and nutrition.

Komar: description

In its development, mosquitoes go through 4 stages: egg, larva, pupa, and imago. The mosquito larva resembling a thin worm was called the black bloodworm and serves as a universal aquarium feed.

Mosquitoes are distinguished from other insects by a thin body, with a length of 4 to 14 mm, long legs and transparent wings. Do not confuse real mosquitoes (kuleks) with representatives of the family of mosquito-centipedes (karamor) - terrible-looking, but completely harmless insects. They not only do not bite, but eat exclusively plants or do not eat at all during their short life.

Blood-sucking mosquitoes have 2 pairs of wings dotted with small spots, and the second pair is greatly reduced. In flight, a mosquito flutters with both pairs of wings in unison, producing up to a thousand flaps per second, and a characteristic mosquito "squeak" catches the hearing of humans and animals.

If you look at a mosquito under a magnifying glass, you will notice a belly, consisting of 10 segments and a slightly wider chest. Each thin paw of a mosquito terminates in two tenacious claws. The color of mosquitoes is very diverse: some are yellow, others are gray or brown, and there are green and completely black specimens.

On the head of mosquitoes are tactile organs - long antennas consisting of 15 segments, and in their mouth - their formidable weapons and means of obtaining food.

How a mosquito drinks blood

The structure of the oral apparatus is the most interesting feature of mosquitoes as blood-sucking insects. In males, the jaws are underdeveloped and are not of interest, but the mouth organs of the females are perfectly adapted to feed the blood that they need to reproduce. The lower lip of the female has the appearance of a narrow elongated tube - the proboscis, in her jaws are hidden, resembling sharp stile nail files.

With its jaws, the female easily cuts through human skin or the skin of an animal, immerses the proboscis into the wound to the very capillaries and sucks blood. If the mosquito is not disturbed, full saturation occurs in 3-4 minutes. Despite the small diameter of the mosquito proboscis, its blood absorption rate far exceeds the similar ability of lice and ticks, but inferior to horseflies.

Like a mosquito drinks blood.

Sensitive olfactory receptors allow the mosquito to find a potential donor for almost the entire length of its giant range.

Where mosquitoes live

Sea transport, trucks, trains and planes have contributed to the spread of mosquitoes on our planet and today insects are found on all continents except Antarctica.

The lifestyle of a mosquito directly depends on the habitat. Populations of tropical regions are active all year round, inhabitants of temperate latitudes are waiting for the winter in secluded places, where there are suitable conditions for normal life, for example, basements of heated rooms.

Mosquitoes living in the Arctic have too little time for enhanced nutrition and reproduction - only a few weeks a year, when the sun's rays melt the ice covering the permafrost. However, for such a short period, insects breed in enormous quantities, and what the mosquitoes of the Arctic feed on is the blood of miserable reindeer. According to scientists, each caribou in a huge herd loses up to 300 ml of blood per day!

Types of Mosquitoes

Of the more than 3 thousand species of mosquitoes, the most common is the common mosquito - that same annoying insect whose squeak has been familiar to everyone since childhood.

This is one of the species of the genus of real mosquitoes. The second and very apt name for the insect is the Piskun mosquito, which was distributed throughout the world during the period of the Great geographical discoveries.

These are small mosquitoes, 3-8 mm in size. The males drink plant juices, the females also feed on nectar and juices to support their vital functions, and they bear humans and animals by bearing offspring. Females lay their eggs in gutters and pits, flooded basements, ponds and other bodies of water. Larvae feed on aquatic vegetation and decomposed organics.

Mosquito squeak, or common mosquito (lat. Culex pipiens).

Mosquitoes nippers

An extensive genus of mosquitoes, including about 700 species. These are small insects that are more common in the tropics and subtropics, near human dwellings, although they are common throughout the entire range of mosquitoes.

A distinctive feature of the bite is thin white stripes that adorn the body and legs. These mosquitoes bite no stronger than their relatives, and the generic name translated from Greek means vile and disgusting. Kusaki suffers from dangerous diseases such as dengue fever and yellow fever.

The yellow mosquito mosquito belongs to the genus Mosquitoes nippers.

In the larval stage, mosquitoes bite feed on algae and various microorganisms. Having plucked, they rise to the surface of the water and after 2 days turn into an adult mosquito.

Malaria mosquitoes

They look very much like ordinary mosquitoes, but differ in some characteristic signs.

The hind legs of the malaria mosquito are much longer than the front, so it sits with the back raised, while the real mosquito sits exactly or vice versa, with the abdomen lowered. The second feature of the malaria mosquito is a pair of long, like a sting, antennae.

Anopheles stephensi malarial mosquito.

A harmless insect, also known as mosquito-dergun. Lives everywhere, gravitates to humid, low-lying places. Dances of a whole host of mosquito bells can be observed on warm evenings in summer and autumn. Jerky mosquitoes are usually yellowish-green or brown, do not cause harm to humans and animals, they live about 2-5 days.

Due to the close connection of insects not only with moss swamps, but also with flooded meadows, they are often called meadows. They are not interested in blood, what mosquitoes in the nature eat - juices and nectar of field plants.

Mosquito species Limonia nubeculosa.

About 4200 species of the family of mosquito-centipedes are found in the world, their second name is karamors. These are mosquitoes, ranging in size from 2 mm to 10 cm, unpleasant in appearance, but completely harmless. Their characteristic feature is extremely long limbs with clearly visible processes (spurs).

Most species of centipedes are often mistaken for giant malarial or common mosquitoes, but there are very original species that cannot be confused with other insects. For example, decorated ktenofora, she is a festive centipede, with an unusual, black and yellow body color.

Another representative of the family is a harmful centipede, which, although it does not feed on blood, at the larval stage causes serious harm to agriculture, gnawing roots, bulbs and even low-lying plant leaves.

How many mosquitoes live

Unlike females, mosquito males do not live very long, about 17-19 days. At an ambient temperature of about 14 ° C, a female mosquito can live up to 4 months. The life span of a female depends on her living conditions and the availability of available food. To maintain vital activity, a female mosquito needs to eat vegetable sugars, which are rich in certain plants, for example, tansy, burdock and yarrow.

A fertilized female needs a human or animal blood protein to form a large number of eggs. In the presence of males, donors and a successful combination of circumstances, the female will lay up to 150 eggs every three days. The female is capable of reproduction without even gaining access to blood, but lays no more than 10 eggs.

Therefore, the life of a female blood-sucking mosquito species is a repeatedly repeated cycle of relentless search for a donor and egg laying.

A mosquito fills the abdomen with human blood.

Who do mosquitoes prefer to bite?

Mosquitoes do not drink human blood because it attracts them very much. For a female mosquito, the blood of a rodent or a cow rich in isoleucine, an aliphatic amino acid, will bring more benefits. But in the modern world, a person remains the most affordable donor for a mosquito.

However, it has been scientifically established that people with blood groups 1 and 2 mosquitoes pester more often. This is due to a higher concentration of protein, compared with blood of groups 3 and 4.

The second factor that attracts mosquitoes is the heat generated by humans, and the higher the body temperature, the more interesting the object for the insect. Therefore, if there is a choice, the mosquito will prefer to bite everyone whose heart is working in an accelerated rhythm: an athlete, an obese person, a heart condition or someone who is intoxicated.

In addition to attracting the mosquito carbon dioxide emitted by a person during breathing, the insect is sensitive to the smell of sweat, which it associates with a food source.

And the last, no less interesting choice of mosquito food preferences is the color of clothes. People in a red and black mosquito will be chased with manic perseverance. And a person in green or khaki-colored mosquitoes can fly around, they are also of little interest in blue and gray.

Therefore, in view of the high risk of contracting dangerous diseases, it is recommended not to neglect perfumed hygiene products, and in the warm season use traditional and traditional means of protection against blood-sucking insects.