The structure of a mosquito, what it squeaks, how many legs, mouthparts, how many teeth, weight, development

A mosquito under a microscope looks much more complex than it might initially seem. The piercing-sucking apparatus has a complex structure, each part performs specific functions. At one time, the female drinks about 5.2 ml of blood with its own weight of 3.2 g. Initially, the mosquito determines the place where the blood vessels are located closest to the surface, then it bites.

Mosquito insect: types, brief description, photo

There are several types of mosquitoes, the most common of which are the following:

• Squeaker. This species is the most numerous. Its peculiarity is that it inhabits almost all corners of the planet. The squeak is small in size, females feed on blood, while males are content with plant food.
• Centipede. The peculiarity of this insect is its size; a mosquito can reach 6-7 cm in length. At the same time, long-legged mosquitoes are absolutely safe for humans and their health.

Mosquitoes

• Tropical mosquito species. This type of insect is distinguished by the fact that it poses a danger not only to health, but also to human life. It is these mosquitoes that carry the most terrible diseases.
• Dergun. The insect got its name because of the constantly twitching long legs that the mosquito puts aside while sitting on any surface. For people, as well as other animals, these representatives of the animal world are harmless.

Asian Tiger / Aedes albopictus

The historical homeland of this insect is Southeast Asia, and then settled in other subtropical and tropical regions of the planet.

The female is slightly larger than the male, but their body structure is the same. The dark body is covered with white stripes, and at the tip of the sting the pathogens of malaria, typhoid, and dengue fever can lurk.

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How does a mosquito's body work?

A mosquito is an insect with a thin body, up to 15 mm in length, long thin legs, narrow wings and claws. Color – brown, yellow or gray. The body consists of a head, thoracic region and abdomen of ten segments. It is difficult to say how much a mosquito weighs, since the weight of an insect mainly depends on the amount of food it eats.

However, on average, it is believed that a hungry mature mosquito weighs 1-2 mg, and a well-fed mosquito weighs 3-5 mg.

The thoracic region is the central organ of the insect and bears the head, abdomen, wings and three pairs of legs. The chest of mosquitoes is divided into three parts: mesothorax, prothorax and metathorax, which are developed very unevenly. The exoskeleton of the anterior chest is represented by 3 plates, due to which a rather long neck is formed.

The mesothorax is the most developed part of the thoracic region, but like the prothorax, it consists of three plates. It is to the middle part of the chest that the anterior thoracic spiracle is attached. The metathorax can be observed under a microscope on the sides of the thoracic region.

Does a mosquito have a brain, a heart, what organs are there, how many teeth, what does a mosquito squeak, and does it breathe?

Mosquitoes, like any other living creatures, have a certain body structure and internal organs.

• Bloodsuckers have a heart, it is represented by a muscular tube. The blood of these insects is colorless.
• Regarding the brain, it must be said that it also exists. It is represented in mosquitoes by the suprapharyngeal ganglia. They are divided into 3 parts and form the forebrain, midbrain and hindbrain. Each part of the brain performs its own functions.
• Many people wonder whether bloodsuckers have teeth. Mosquitoes have teeth, moreover, they play an incredibly important role in the life of this insect. After all, it is with the help of teeth that a mosquito bites through the donor’s skin. However, they have an unusual appearance for us - prickly bristles. An adult mosquito can have about 50 of them.

Structure of a mosquito

• The insect makes a squeak using nothing other than its wings. Due to the frequent flapping of thin wings, such a sound is formed that is unpleasant to our ears.
• Unlike people, all insects breathe using the trachea, and not the lungs, since they simply do not have the latter. The tracheas of bloodsuckers are represented by tubes through which air passes and which come out on the sides of the body with peculiar openings - spiracles.
• Generally speaking, these insects have a nervous system, oral apparatus, excretory organs, a heart and, accordingly, a circulatory system, genitals, and a respiratory system.

Wings

The wings of mosquitoes consist of longitudinal and transverse veins, which are framed by the costal vein. They are covered with scales, an uneven accumulation of which forms light or dark spots on the body. A fringe is formed by scales on the posterior edge of the wings.

The wings are what the mosquito squeaks with. In flight, the insect waves them so quickly that they are not visible at all, but only a thin squeak is heard. The frequency of oscillations of mosquito wings is up to 1000 times per second.

Many scientists believe that the outer coverings of the wings contain nerve endings, which are the sensory organs of insects.

Legs

The legs of mosquitoes consist of a coxa, trochanter, femur, tibia and tarsi. The tarsus is divided into five segments, the last of which has two claws. Under each of the claws there are suckers, of varying degrees of development in different species.

The main task of the claws is to hold the mosquito on overturned or vertical surfaces.

The parts of the legs located near the point of their attachment to the body are called bases, and the parts most distant from the points of attachment are called apexes. The inner side of the apex of the hind tibia is represented by a number of flat spines, which form a scraper.

Head

The heads of these insects are characterized by characteristics unique to their family. Firstly, the fifteen-segmented antennae, and secondly, the structure of the feeding organs.

The mosquito's oral apparatus is represented by the lower and upper lips and 2 pairs of jaws. The lips are elongated and form a groove, inside which there are long needles formed by underdeveloped jaws.

Between the inner surface of the groove and the tube, piercing stylets are placed, arising from the upper, lower jaws and tongue. The cavity of the tongue serves to conduct saliva.

Many people are interested in whether mosquitoes have teeth. There are, and moreover, they play a major role in puncturing the victim’s skin.

The lower jaws, alternately working, clinging to the tissue with their teeth, help deepen the antennae into the skin and facilitate the entry of all other piercing bristles. Mosquitoes have very small teeth, but the number can reach even 50 pieces. In females the proboscis is long and consists of piercing bristles; in males there are no bristles.

Only female mosquitoes feed on blood; for males, the main food is nectar. Females search for “donors”, relying on high sensitivity to temperature, the smell of lactic acid and carbon dioxide. Moreover, they are able to capture the acid reserve released with sweat at a distance of up to fifty meters, body heat - up to thirty meters, and carbon dioxide - up to fifteen meters. During a bite, anticoagulants (prevent blood clotting) and anesthetics are injected into the blood of an animal or person.

Abdomen

The abdomen of mosquitoes, as previously noted, consists of ten segments, the last two of which are parts of the external genitalia. Each of the anterior eight segments of the abdomen consists of dorsal and ventral plates, which are connected to each other by the pleura - a non-segmented elastic membrane.

An increase in volume and stretching of the abdomen due to blood sucking, obesity and maturation of eggs lead to stretching and straightening of this membrane. In the pleura, each segment from the second to the sixth contains six pairs of spiracles, significantly different from the pectoral ones both in size and structure.

The plates of the last segments form segments surrounding the genital and anal openings. Females also have short appendages at the end of their abdomen. The reproductive apparatus of males is much more complex due to external appendages.

Number of eyes

As already mentioned, 2 large compound eyes are located on the sides of the fly's head. In females, the location of the organs of vision is somewhat expanded (separated by a wide forehead), while in males the eyes are slightly closer to each other.

But on the midline of the forehead, behind the compound compound eyes, there are 3 more regular (non-compound) eyes for additional vision. Most often, they come into play when it is necessary to examine an object close up, since a complex eye with perfect vision is not so necessary in this case. It turns out that flies have 5 eyes in total.

The structure of immature mosquitoes

From the eggs laid by the female on the surface of the water, larvae hatch, which intensively feed and grow before pupation.

After leaving the egg and before the stage of maturation, the larva increases in volume by more than five hundred times, and in length by more than eight times.

Increased growth leads to the fact that the larvae undergo periodic molting, that is, they shed their old outer covers and form new, larger ones. During maturation, the larva goes through four larval instars.

Only hatched larvae are about 1 mm in length, after the fourth molt - 8-10 mm. In addition to an increase in size, at each stage there is a complication of the internal organization. After the completion of the fourth stage, the pupa appears.

At this stage, some internal organs are rebuilt, which leads to the formation of adult mosquito organs. The completion of the development of an adult mosquito occurs with the release of the insect from the pupal skin.

The structure of the oral apparatus

The insect's mouthparts are of the piercing-sucking type, however, the structure of male and female individuals is slightly different. This depends on the fact that males feed on nectar, while females prefer to bite people and animals.

The mouthparts of a mosquito consist of:

• Jaw at the top;
• Jaw below;
• Upper lip;
• Lip below;
• Labella (with the help of it the female sucks blood).

Both types of lips have an elongated shape, together they form a groove, inside of which there are 5 needles. With their help, the mosquito bites its victim. Females with straightened jaws get food for themselves without any problems, since the bristles perform a protective function against damage. The needles are located on the sides of the formed groove. This arrangement allows the flying individual to quickly bite the victim, while slightly grabbing the skin and stretching it a little.

The lower jaw of a female mosquito consists of a lip, bristles and spines. With its help, the bloodsucker holds the skin, slightly stretches it, after which the female’s proboscis, while sucking, easily obtains food. The quills consist of small bristles, which are often called chewing organs by some experts. However, this is contrary to reality, since they have nothing in common with them.

The female’s proboscis is strong, because with the help of it she bites through the skin and passes through the layer of epithelial cells.

The structure of the male's mouthparts is different because it does not bite through the skin of the prey. Therefore, a powerful oral apparatus is not needed. The structure looks like:

The mosquito's oral cavity contains a small number of bristles; it does not have needles with which to apply the wound. There are no grooves formed by the upper and lower parts of the oral cavity, since the mosquito does not stretch the skin of the victim. Food production is easy; it is enough to absorb the nectar of the plant that forms on the flower.

People, when asked why a mosquito needs teeth, cannot give an exact answer. The answer is simple: they are not needed, that’s why they don’t exist. Since the insect feeds exclusively on liquid food, it does not chew. In addition, the structure of the oral cavity of a blood-sucking insect does not imply the presence of solid organs; instead, bristles and needles are used to obtain food.

Let's look at a mosquito's proboscis under a microscope

Under the proboscis two mandibular palps can be found.

The proboscis is a modified lower lip, which is the most massive element of the oral apparatus.

Inside the trunk is what the mosquito uses to pierce the body of the victim and suck blood from it.

The lower jaw ends in two sensitive lobes - labella.

The lower lip hides the upper and lower jaws. The jaws are elongated piercing organs, sharp at the end, used to prick the skin.

This is a sucking tube formed by a modified upper lip.

When the female pierces the skin, she injects into the wound created a toxic liquid secreted by one of the salivary lobes. This fluid prevents blood from clotting and subsequently causes itching.

Do mosquitoes have teeth?

The issue is quite controversial. Some experts claim that they do not exist, others say that they are present, but not in the form they are accustomed to imagine. An insect measuring about 6 mm cannot have powerful jaws with a number of bones, but there is a similarity. A mosquito's teeth are compacted chitinous bristles. There are 50 of them in total.

On a note!

Males have a simplified oral apparatus. Mosquitoes feed on plant nectar and pollen. All they need is a long proboscis with sucking ability. After mating, females need blood - protein food, so they hunt animals, people, even birds.

Belgica antarctica

This species belongs to the bells, but unlike their relatives they do not have wings. It is endemic to Antarctica, and the only animal of the White Continent that never leaves the land surface.

An amazing and unusual species was discovered in 1900. They grow up to 3.2 mm in length. The development life cycle is about one year. The larva and pupa overwinter. The larva develops among moss, in crevices, and among plant roots. You can even find them on the body of penguins.

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Life cycle of a mosquito

The duration of egg maturation depends on the temperature of the reservoir. This usually happens within 8 days. After which the larva appears. In this state, she goes through the molting process 4 times and turns into a pupa.

Thus, the life cycle of mosquitoes occurs in four stages.

As a result of complex processes occurring inside the pupa, from two to four and a half days, an adult individual appears - the imago.

How mosquitoes appear

This is the oldest group of blood-sucking insects. There are more than 80,000 species of them in the world. Their most favorite habitat is warmth and humidity. Where do mosquitoes come from and where do they live?

How long does a mosquito live?

Males live from five to seven days, females can live from two weeks to a month, in ideal conditions. However, the females of some species go to sleep in the winter, so they can live for several months.

A radio station from Poland used an odd method to control mosquitoes. Radio Zet emitted a continuous ultrasonic signal that, even if not heard by human ears, mimicked the sonar of a bat and could be heard by mosquitoes. This kept any mosquito listener away from this radio channel.

Some plants with a prickly scent can repel mosquitoes, like garlic. The Mohs hardness scale gives different degrees of hardness to objects, for example, hardness 1 is talc, which can be cleaned with a fingernail, hardness 10 is the hardest natural mineral, it can only be scratched by another diamond. Mouse teeth have a value of 9.6! The Mohs hardness scale assigns different degrees of hardness to objects.

The unique adaptation of the mosquito

A mosquito deftly avoids raindrops

The insect is uniquely built. The structure of the mosquito allows it to move easily in any environmental conditions. During rain, the body passes through the droplets without coming into contact with them. The weight of the mosquito gives stability during flight. The weight of a mosquito plays a significant role in insurance against death in the event of a collision with foreign objects or in windy weather.

The mosquito has three pairs of legs, which are quite versatile. The structure of the legs is quite complex. At the top of the legs there are claws that are needed for holding on overturned surfaces. Tiny claws located on the top of the legs make it possible to cling to the surface of the victim's skin. Why can a mosquito run on the surface of water? Feather-like scales with grooves on the surface of the legs allow the insect to walk on water. If a predator grabs an insect's limb, it is torn off, but the insect does not die.

Many people are interested in the question: how many teeth does a mosquito have? And does he have them? And why does he need them if he has a proboscis? Eating, at the same time, plays a primary role in piercing a person’s skin when he bites. How does a mosquito bite through skin? He does this with a saw-tooth lower jaw, and immerses the proboscis under the skin. And the number of teeth can reach 50.

The mosquito sucks blood with six needles, each of which it can use according to their functions. So that the female can drink more blood, excess water is drained from the abdomen. And the sucking continues.

The abdomen has the ability to stretch when it drinks blood, with obesity and the process of egg maturation.

Features of the habitat

Mosquitoes are, of course, attracted to the humid environment in which they breed. Large concentrations of them are observed near reservoirs, rivers, the sea, in wooded and wetlands, and in meadows with tall grass. Within a multi-storey building, favorable conditions for their reproduction are created in basements - damp and unheated. Private houses are also not protected from their proximity; insects breed near swimming pools, wells, fountains, and in flower beds.

Even containers with collected water and ordinary puddles are a favorable factor for increasing their population.

They are very thermophilic, but too high a temperature is not favorable for their reproduction. Particularly large concentrations of them have been recorded in regions with a temperate continental climate.

They live everywhere except Antarctica.

Reproduction

Mosquitoes feed on flower nectar. Even the females. But females need blood for successful and abundant oviposition. This is what causes their “bloodthirstiness”.

The female common mosquito (squeaker) attracts the male with a characteristic sound. That's why she still has her halteres. It does not buzz, but squeaks solely because of its size. Wings that are too small cannot produce a bass hum. If you hear a squeak in a swarm of mosquitoes, you can be sure that there are also females thirsty for blood there.

Even scientists have not yet been able to tell everything about mosquitoes when writing dissertations. However, many interesting facts about mosquitoes have been collected and you can get a general idea of ​​how the bloodsucker that prevents you from sleeping works, and why it prevents you from sleeping with its squeaking.

Experts call the structure of a mosquito primitive, but if you carefully examine each part of it, you get a completely different impression. Everything in a small organism is thought out to the smallest detail. The abilities of insects have been studied for many years by specialists from different countries. One of the most famous creatures on the planet, but not fully studied. Everything about mosquitoes, their structure, features is further in our article.

Mosquito "singing"

There is no need to remind you once again what sound a mosquito makes. Of course, when they fly, a nasty, annoying squeak reaches a person’s ears. Where is it coming from? From the mouth of an insect? Not at all! It is the high frequency of oscillations of the mosquito’s wings that is the very instrument that contributes to the production of a squeak, which subsides at those moments when the insect simply sits on the “victim” or rests on other objects in its habitat, with its wings folded.

It often seems that there is a whole swarm of insects in the room instead of one or two, the squeak is so loud that it can cause insomnia in people.

Nutrition

Well-fed female mosquito
What do mosquito insects eat? The larvae have the opportunity to feed on particles of vegetation and microorganisms found in the water of the reservoir, which they pass through themselves. Adults survive on flower nectar. Then the question arises: why do mosquitoes drink the blood of humans and animals?

To bear and lay eggs, the female needs a lot of strength; nectar does not provide her with the necessary nutrients, while blood contributes to her complete saturation. This is why mosquitoes drink blood.

It should be noted that males do not bite, only females are voracious and in the moments after fertilization. The female mosquito sucks blood in order to gain strength and survive so that the population can continue to continue. If there is no source of blood nearby, then she dies after laying eggs, and her offspring are weak.

At one time, a mosquito can suck blood twice its weight, because the stretching abdomen is adapted to increase its size.

Why does a female mosquito need blood?

Some people believe that mosquitoes need hot human blood to survive. This is a myth: only females need blood, who need the means to further reproduce their offspring. A certain part of it is used as food itself.

The lifespan of a female insect is much longer than a male one. Females give birth to offspring, so they need large amounts of proteins, carbohydrates, and iron. They get all this from the blood of people, birds and mammals. A mosquito will take several days to digest a tiny fraction of the blood it drinks. Afterwards the eggs mature. At best, the female of this insect can drink blood and lay eggs up to 4 times during her short life. Typically a clutch contains from 20 to 30 eggs. The duration of their development lasts from 3 to 8 days, depending on the water temperature.

After the female has laid eggs, about a week passes, and larvae emerge from the eggs. Their sizes are small - about 2 mm. They develop in the shallows of streams, rivers and other bodies of water. The larvae feed on small living creatures that are located on underwater plants and directly in the water itself. They feed continuously and only calm down at the moment of molting. During its entire existence, the mosquito larva sheds its skin 4 times, and eventually becomes a full-fledged pupa.

The pupa is noticeably different in appearance from the larva. It has a transparent body structure, in which you can see the future mosquito. The mosquito pupa does not feed at all. She simply floats on the surface of the water, inhaling oxygen. The pupal stage lasts only a few days, after which the mosquito emerges.

Who exactly does a female mosquito bite?

Female mosquitoes live for about 2-3 weeks. The elongated lips of the mosquito look like a case, where 2 pairs of powerful jaws with sharp long teeth that look like needles are hidden.

In order for a female to breed, she needs blood. During this period, females become bloodthirsty creatures. They can smell the blood of a victim from several hundred meters away.

However, mosquitoes are selective when it comes to blood. Most preference is given to:

• people who have blood group 1 or 2;
• children's blood;
• female blood, especially if a woman is pregnant: females are attracted to cholesterol, which increases with hormonal changes;
• people who are obese or have heart disease.

The insect's olfactory system is designed in such a way as to make it as easy as possible to find the source of blood. 27 receptors located on the antennae of an individual capture chemicals that an animal or person secretes in sweat. Females feel the heat emitted by their body at a distance of several meters. They also sense carbon dioxide emitted by humans from several hundred meters away.

There are also females who are ready to bite everyone, indiscriminately. They do not hesitate to taste cold frog blood or caterpillar lymph.

Do not be mistaken that the female needs blood solely for laying eggs. She will put them aside anyway. It’s just that if the female does not suck the required amount of blood with the nutrients it contains, she will have to give her own to future offspring. The result will be her death.

It all happens as follows: the insect gnaws a microscopic hole in a person’s skin with its sharp jaws, then lowers its proboscis into the blood capillaries and sucks blood from them with its lips folded into a tube. At the same time, the insect injects saliva into the hole. It prevents the blood from clotting. This is what causes redness and itching on the human body.

At the time of the injection, a person may feel pain. Therefore, immediately before introducing saliva into the hole, the insect uses carbon dioxide, which stuns the pain receptors for a few fractions of a second. You may not notice that a mosquito is drinking blood right away.

These insects produce carbon dioxide with the help of symbiotic microorganisms called yeast and found in the stomach. The human body and its immune system are able to resist foreign yeast that enters the esophagus with food, which is why the allergic reactions described above occur.

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The mosquito usually drinks blood for 2-3 minutes, while sucking only 2-4 ml of blood. Most often, females go hunting in the dark. Having drunk blood, female mosquitoes hide in a secluded place where they can later lay eggs.

Diet of males

The male differs from the female in the general structure of the jaws. The appearance of the insect will also help you identify what kind of individual is in front of you: the male mosquito has a lush mustache, unlike the female, whose antennae are much thinner. The male mosquito lives 2 times less than the female and feeds every day. These insects do not need the constant presence of warm-blooded creatures nearby, so they can easily live in swamps and other uninhabited places.

Male individuals, while still larvae, live in water and feed on organic matter there. Male mosquitoes do not engage in parasitic feeding, since their mouthparts do not have a piercing element.

What do male mosquitoes eat? Their diet consists of nectars and juices of various plants. Nectar is an aqueous solution of sugar that contains essential oils equal in quantity to sugar. From nectar carbohydrates, the insect synthesizes glycogen, which helps store energy and waste it economically during flights. Synthesis occurs in a special organ - the fat body.

This insect mainly feeds on the nectar of the following plants:

• burdock;
• yarrow;
• tansy.

Research by scientists has shown that the latter option is loved not only by males, but also by female mosquitoes, with 86% occurring in pregnant individuals.

What do insects eat in the forest?

In the forest zone it is not so easy to stumble upon a person, so female mosquitoes look for prey among wild animals in search of blood. Despite their miniature appearance, the females cannot be stopped by the animal’s thick skin, fur or feathers. The proboscis, small in diameter, sucks blood at a speed many times higher than that of other blood-sucking insects, such as ticks or lice. The volume of blood that enters the body of a female mosquito is much less than the amount of blood consumed by a horsefly. The mosquito drinks blood within 3-4 minutes.

Insects are especially active after dawn and after sunset. A mosquito has no hearing organs, but its sense of smell is so sensitive that it can fly several hundred meters after sensing its potential victim, and the smell of human sweat is a magnet for it.

Male mosquitoes eat only vegetarian food. Females do not disdain human and animal blood - they need it to reproduce offspring. In order to give birth, they are ready to fly for a long time in search of a suitable body of water, where about 500 eggs are laid in one season.

What do mosquitoes eat in swamps?

What does a mosquito eat in a swamp? Most people believe that without blood, a mosquito dies, but research has shown that this is not the case. Small insects retain the ability to reproduce even in the most unfavorable conditions. If there are no people or animals nearby, mosquitoes switch to the blood of birds, and some species have adapted to the blood of fish and reptiles.

If the conditions are even more harsh and severe, when there is no blood nearby at all, insects still have the opportunity to leave offspring. The larvae, swimming in the water, feed on organic compounds. Before turning into a pupa, they accumulate large amounts of protein. This is enough so that, upon becoming an adult, the insect can breed at least once. It will not be as strong and numerous as in favorable conditions, but it is better than nothing.

Mosquitoes cause a lot of different inconveniences to humans. With the arrival of spring, these annoying creatures, due to their biological characteristics, begin to bother people, no matter where they are - in a metropolis or in the countryside. People are the most favorite victims of bloodsuckers, but only females. All male mosquitoes are true vegetarians, do not forget about this.

Everyone is used to thinking that a mosquito is ready to burst, but drink as much human blood as possible. This is wrong. A mosquito eats as much as it needs to provide nutrition for its future offspring.

Mosquitoes / Phlebotominae

Let's make a reservation that mosquitoes belong to the butterfly family, although they look similar to mosquitoes. They live most often in the tropics and subtropical regions.

A very small insect, not exceeding 2.5 mm. They appeared on the planet presumably during the Cretaceous period, and were first scientifically described in 1681 by the Italian zoologist Filippo Bonanni.

Varieties of blood-sucking insects

In total, there are more than three thousand species of insects on Earth. Up to a hundred of their species have taken root on the territory of Russia. The most common are:

• the common mosquito is a ubiquitous species that tends to annoy both animals and people; the insect's body size reaches 8 mm and is a carrier of meningitis and eczema;

  
  Centipede mosquito

• dolopoda - lives near water bodies, in swampy places, is a threat to agricultural plantings, because this insect feeds only on plants;
• Anopheles is a mosquito that is dangerous to humans because it infects people with malaria through its bites; it lives near bodies of water and is practically no different in appearance from the ordinary species;
• two-striped - inhabitant of forests and swamps, carrier of dangerous diseases;
• winter mosquitoes - found near water bodies, body length reaches two centimeters, living conditions differ from other species, survive in winter by living in rotten wood.

centipedes

The second name of Karamor is Tipulidae in Latin. Large mosquitoes up to 60 mm. In tropical countries there are giant creatures up to 10 cm in length. There are more than 4 thousand species of centipedes on the planet. On the territory of Russia they are found everywhere in forests, swamps, and near water bodies. And also in gardens, orchards, and meadows.

Mosquitoes come in different colors, the most common being gray and black. Outwardly they resemble an ordinary mosquito, enlarged several times. Long legs, mustache, small head, slender body. The length of the proboscis is up to 10 mm, but it is not able to bite through the skin. Adults feed on nectar. The larvae eat decaying organic matter, less often fresh plants, causing harm to grain crops and agriculture.

Long-legged mosquitoes

A female caramora lays an average of 50 eggs at a time. In summer, only one generation is replaced. Pupae formed in September remain overwintering. They continue to develop in the spring.

Mosquito jerk or bell

In Latin Chironomidae. The insect got its name due to its ability to make unusual sounds during flight. The bell mosquito flaps its wings up to 1000 times per second. Energy reserves are obtained at the larval stage; being adults, males and females do not feed at all.

Bell mosquito from the family Chironomidae

Externally, the jerk is similar to its relatives, but has a bright color. The mosquito is orange or yellow, the abdomen is light green. A close-up photo of the mosquito is shown below. There are more than 7 thousand varieties in the world, some species live in Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine.

Malaria mosquito

Anopheles translated from Greek is worthless, useless. A carrier of the dangerous disease malaria. Representatives of this type of mosquito live all over the globe; there are about 440 species in the world, 10 of them live in Russia in Siberia. Favorite places are forests, swamps, and ponds.

Females lay eggs - up to 200 at a time on the surface of reservoirs. Within 24 hours, larvae emerge from them and look like a worm. Under favorable conditions - a temperature of 20 degrees Celsius, several molts occur, and after 2 weeks they pupate. In the pupal state, the malaria or Siberian mosquito is able to overwinter and continues its development in the spring. In summer, the adult emerges from the cocoon within a week. Initially, males are born, gather along the shore, and wait for females.

Malaria mosquito

The description of the appearance of red mosquitoes is in many ways similar to culex, but there are differences. Anopheles has slightly longer hind limbs, and when it lands on the surface, the back of the body remains raised. An ordinary squeak keeps its abdomen parallel to the plane.

Yellow mosquito

Yellow fever biter, tiger mosquito. In Latin it sounds like Aedes aegypti. These species of mosquitoes are spreaders of dangerous diseases. Carries dengue fever, yellow fever, and Zika virus. Its homeland is Africa. Gradually appeared in Central America on the Caribbean islands. They are found in Russia, Georgia, and Ukraine.

The female mosquito reaches a size of 7 mm, males - about 4 mm. Externally recognizable appearance. Dark body with white markings. There are even spots on the legs. The black mosquito lives in wetlands and forests with high humidity. During the season, 5 generations will change. The female is capable of laying 200 eggs at a time. Its lifespan is from 14 days to a month.

Meadowweeds / Limoniidae

These are the most ancient of all existing dipterans. Imprints are found in the Jurassic deposits of Europe, and in North America in the Upper Triassic period.

Their wings are well developed, and their eyes, like those of most insects, have a facet structure. They do not drink blood, but lay larvae in water bodies. The family includes more than 150 genera, differing in structure and lifestyle.

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Interesting facts about mosquitoes

Despite the fact that few people like mosquitoes, their lives are full of interesting things. And if we consider these insects not as bloodsuckers, then the interest in them will be much stronger.

• Mosquitoes have a unique daily routine. During the day, these creatures rest, hiding not only from the bright rays of the sun, but also from other animals that feed on them.
• There is information that this is exactly the number of mosquitoes – 1,200,000 – needed to drink all the blood from a person.
• Many people do not know the fact that only female mosquitoes drink blood and bite, however, this is true.
• Initially, mosquitoes were called flies, in principle, like all other dipterous insects.
• Mosquitoes are able to smell prey at a distance of several tens of meters.

As you can see, mosquitoes are not only constantly disturbing squeaking creatures. These insects benefit both humans and all living nature. Moreover, the death of these insects will lead to irreversible processes, so it is impossible to deliberately exterminate them.

Sources

• https://belt-wrestling.su/kleshchi/est-li-u-komarov-zuby.html
• https://beyklopov.ru/komary/svedeniya/stroenie-komara.html
• https://stopklopu.com/skolko-zubov-u-komara/
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An integral link in evolution

Why are annoying mosquitoes needed in nature? What function do they perform? These insects are a source of food for other beetles - dragonflies, swimming beetles, water striders, ticks, spiders, and water bugs. Since they breed in the vicinity of reservoirs, crustaceans, frogs, salamanders, various species of reptiles, and fish like to eat their larvae and adults. Mosquitoes are a source of food for river and sea birds that can stay on the water surface - gulls, terns, wild ducks and geese, phalaropes.

It’s easy to guess what will happen if mosquitoes disappear. The main source of food will disappear from the usual chain of evolutionary development of all the above-listed individuals, which will entail a significant reduction in their number. The disappearance of one link leads to the disappearance of others... So it is necessary to “find a common language” with mosquitoes in order to maintain the natural balance on Planet Earth.

Are they dangerous for humans?

Despite the fact that the caramora is completely indifferent to blood, the insect poses a serious problem for agricultural land. The following representatives of the order Diptera insects can cause the greatest harm:

• Marsh Centipede;
• Cabbage caramora;
• Autumn ballerina.

These pests have a detrimental effect on plant crops that love moisture. Caramora larvae can destroy a significant part of the crop sown on wet mineral soil and peat bogs. Ballerina can harm berries, legumes, root crops and cereals. Cultivated pastures located near water are most susceptible to mass attack by caramora larvae.

In the summer, centipede larvae are fought, like all pests, with the help of modern insecticidal agents and fall plowing is done. In summer cottages, the same methods are used to combat ballerina. However, if there is no body of water near your site, there is nothing to worry about; the larvae will not be able to damage the crop.

Now you know how dangerous large mosquitoes are.

The common mosquito: where and how long does it live, what does it feed on in the forest, in the swamp?

This insect can also be found under the name “squeak mosquito”. If we talk about the scale on which these bloodsuckers are found, they are truly surprising.

• Squeakers are found throughout Europe. You can also find them in more remote areas of the Earth; they got there during the time of the Great Geographical Discoveries.
• If we talk about the terrain that peepers prefer, it is most often swamps and forests. Bloodsuckers choose this place for a reason, because they love humidity and warmth. It should also be noted that the common mosquito can live anywhere, provided that its food source, that is, a person, is nearby.

Common mosquito

• Regarding the nutrition of these insects, it must be said that only females drink blood, since it is this type of food that they need for procreation. Males prefer plant juices - this is their only food. The females of this insect, both in the forest and in the swamp, in the absence of humans, look for another source of blood. Often the source is other animals: frogs, birds, etc.
• The life of a mosquito is full of various challenges. Its lifespan depends on the environment and temperature at which the bloodsucker is located. It is important to say right away that females live 1.5-2 times longer than males. Generally speaking, females can live from 40 to 120 days, males are correspondingly 2 times less.

Protection against midges outdoors

Adjusting your outdoor schedule to the life cycle of a particular midge species is too much and a waste of time. You should turn to more effective insect control options.

Professional approach

There are two types of products that repel midges from the human body: repellents and fumigators. The first ones are applied directly to the skin, the second ones destroy insects within a certain radius.

Repellents (sprays, ointments, lotions)

They are applied to the skin, thereby blocking the olfactory receptors of insects.

1. Mosquitall ointment based on diethyltoluamide. Effectively repels midges for 8–9 hours, disorienting the olfactory receptors of insects. Has a pleasant vanilla scent.
2. Aerosol Help. Valid for 6–8 hours. Apply to skin and/or clothing. It is dangerous for children under 12 years of age, pregnant and lactating women to use the product.
3. Aerosol Gardex based on diethyltuolamide. Lasts 4.5–6 hours.

Aerosol is the most convenient form of repellent

Fumigators

Contains toxic substances that kill midges. Fumigators can be of two types:

• pyrotechnic (the spiral smolders and smokes, releasing substances toxic to midges);
• electric (under the influence of heat, a plate soaked in poison or a bottle with toxic liquid releases these substances into the air and kills midges).

The most popular and effective fumigators are products from the Raid, Mosquitall, and Fumitox brands.

Spiral fumigators are convenient to use outdoors, but their coverage area is not very large

Folk methods of protection

If the use of chemicals contradicts your principles, you can use folk advice.

1. Infusion with vegetable oil. Leaves of wormwood, parsley, tobacco, eucalyptus or fir sprigs, vanilla pods, anise seeds, clove buds are infused in oil for 2-3 weeks. After straining the mixture, apply it to exposed areas of the body.
2. Ointment based on baby cream or Vaseline. Grind lavender leaves, basil, rosemary, bird cherry blossoms or garlic cloves, lemon zest and mix with the base. Apply as needed.
3. Alcohol tincture. In 500 ml of 35% vodka, put 250 g of walnut shells, add 10-15 drops of camphor oil (or 30-40 drops of peppermint oil), leave for 2 days. We lubricate exposed areas of the body, except the face, as alcohol can cause burns.
4. Essential oil mixtures. Strong smells repel midges, while many people enjoy this type of aromatherapy.

Table: Effective Essential Oil Blends

Prevention

Since midges, judging by the species table, inhabit the entire globe, with the exception of some northern corners and deserts, it is, to put it mildly, useless to fight the very existence of these insects. All that remains is to choose a means of protection against their bites and listen to the recommendations of experts:

• You should not choose places for walks or picnics near bodies of water overgrown with vegetation;
• at the height of summer there is no need to wear too revealing light clothes;
• You should not stay for a long time in damp shady forests and near swampy lowlands;
• It is better to organize walks and picnics away from livestock farms.

The bite is in the details

To complete a meal and drink blood, an insect has to work hard. To begin with, it finds the most suitable place on the victim's body. This is usually the pulse point where the thickness of the skin is minimal. But if the mosquito is very hungry, then it will not be too selective when choosing where to bite.

Mosquito bite

A microscope allows you to see details that cannot be seen with the naked eye. Multiple magnification makes it possible to examine the meal process itself. In laboratory conditions, scientists were able to film how a mosquito bites under a microscope. The bloodsucker finds a blood vessel under the skin and absorbs biological material. We managed to do this using the example of a mouse, but this scheme operates regardless of the object.

The detailed video shows how the mosquito’s proboscis, with forward movements, tries to find a vessel under the skin. It examines skin cells that are nearby. After the mosquito rests its nose on the vessel, it punctures it and the feeding process begins.

Lifestyle

A mosquito is an insect that necessarily goes through an aquatic period of life in its development. Mosquitoes have four stages of development:

In all species, the first three stages occur either in water or in waterlogged soil on the banks of water bodies.

Life cycle of a mosquito

Structure of the larva

The larvae of different species emerging from eggs differ from each other in head shape. Those that feed from the surface of reservoirs have elongated and narrow heads. When feeding on plankton or bottom sediments, the larval head will be more developed in width than in length. Carnivores have a special head structure, different from the previous two.

The larvae have eyes on the sides of their heads. The mouth, depending on the type of nutrition, can be scraping or suction type. In predatory species, the mouthparts are adapted for catching and chewing prey. The chest plates are fused together. The abdomen consists of 9 segments.

The digestive tract of the larvae is almost a straight tube. Digestion of food occurs in the middle intestine. The digestive tract is supplemented by a pair of salivary glands and intestinal appendages.

Doll

The developed larva moves to the next stage: pupation. The pupa is lighter than water due to the large number of air chambers. At this time, almost fully formed small mosquitoes are at greatest risk, as they represent helpless food for fish.

The adult insect that hatches from the pupa dries up and sets off to look for a mate for reproduction.