Centipede is a genus of insects from the huge family of mosquitoes. Their unofficial name is "Karamora". These giant mosquitoes are absolutely safe for people and do not even bite them, but some individuals are dangerous for cultivated plants. Long-legged mosquitoes, or caramors (lat. Tipulidae), are a family of dipterous insects from the suborder Nematocera.
Longlegged mosquito or caramora
What do centipedes eat?
Due to its marked differences from ordinary mosquitoes, the centipede can easily put most people into a state of awe. In fact, the centipede is the only two-winged insect that does not consume animal or human blood. This species feeds exclusively on dew and plant products. There are even subspecies that feed very rarely.
What to do in such a situation? To get started, we recommend reading this article. This article describes in detail methods of controlling parasites. We also recommend that you consult a specialist. Read the article >>>
Long-legged mosquitoes feeding on fallen leaves
Despite its enormous size and therefore terrifying appearance, this mosquito simply cannot bite a person because:
- There is no sting;
- The proboscis is too soft to bite through the skin;
- Frightening growths on the body serve to lay eggs in the ground
If such a mosquito has flown into your home, do not be alarmed, it is even more afraid of you and is simply trying to find a way out back into its habitat; it is not at all interested in your blood. Many people confuse the caramora with the malarial mosquito, but there are significant differences between them, which we will discuss in the article.
It all depends on the current stage of development of the individual. Most of the larvae belong to the group of saprophages - feeding on rotting wood, dead vegetation and fallen leaves. Only a few species can cause real harm to agricultural land. Large mosquitoes reproduce at an extremely high rate, so in a matter of months a field can lose its entire crop. When searching for food, the larvae devour root vegetables, carrots and beets. At night, they crawl out of the soil and begin to feast on cabbage and the stems of other plants. Individuals of the adult stage feed on pollen, water and plant nectars. There are species that do not eat anything at all, because their life span is so short that they simply do not need to look for food during their short life.
The adult centipede mosquito feeds on pollen, water and plant nectars
Depending on the characteristics of the genus, a large mosquito can be found in:
- Forest areas;
- Lakes;
- Swamps and other reservoirs of standing water;
- The soil of the garden or vegetable garden.
An interesting feature of the diet of this species is the fact that it is the only mosquito that does not feed on the blood of other species of the animal world. Some individuals do not feed at all during their life cycle and they only get enough nutrients obtained during the maturation of the larvae.
Some centipedes do not feed at all during their life cycle.
Do they bite or not?
Thanks to its terrifying size and strange body proportions, the appearance of this insect can instantly frighten many people, because you can’t immediately determine whether this individual bites. They are also often mistaken for malarial mosquitoes, which is why a simple fright can develop into complete panic. In fact, centipedes are absolutely harmless to the human body for the following reasons:
- They cannot bite through the skin;
- There is no blood in their diet, only plant products;
- Their proboscis is very soft and is intended only to collect pollen and moisture.
Long-legged mosquitoes do not bite and are harmless to humans
Mosquitoes
(subfamily belonging to the butterfly family)
These dangerous insects, although they look like mosquitoes, are essentially not mosquitoes. Since the word “mosquitoes” in the tropics acquired the same meaning as the concept of “midges” in our area, these words have become practically synonymous. Mosquitoes are very small (only 0.3 cm) dipterous insects, similar to mosquitoes.
Of course, they look quite harmless, but in fact, they are very dangerous. Mosquitoes are carriers of fever and leishmaniasis. Only females drink blood. These insects, similar to mosquitoes, always live compactly, where they were born. They do not fly to other areas. Mosquitoes do not live in the middle zone. But before they lived in huge numbers in Crimea. Nowadays they can be found in Transcaucasia. Mosquitoes pose the greatest danger in Asia, Africa, and South America.
Features of long-legged mosquitoes
Long-legged mosquitoes - they got this name due to the presence of long legs. This feature is unique among blood-sucking insects, which is perhaps why it has such a strong psychological effect - scaring off everyone and everything with its appearance.
Another important feature of these large mosquitoes is autotomy - the ability to discard a limb captured by a predator. If this is hard to imagine, it is enough to remember a similar mechanism in many species of lizards that shed their tails for the same reasons for survival.
When in danger, centipedes can shed a limb
Unfortunately, without a detailed visual inspection, it is difficult to distinguish a large mosquito from a mosquito that carries infectious diseases, which is perhaps why these insects, harmless to humans, have such a bad reputation.
Like most insects, the caramora hibernates through the torpor mechanism. They move slower than ordinary mosquitoes, and they can be found mainly near ponds and dense bushes.
The centipede goes into hibernation
Gall midges
This is a very large group. There are up to 3000 varieties of them. Some gall midges differ from others mainly in where exactly the female lays her eggs. Note that these insects, although similar to mosquitoes, do not pose any danger.
Gall midges live very briefly. Their life cycle is several days. In terms of their external characteristics, gall midges strongly resemble culexes.
Harm from centipedes
Even though this type of insect does not directly threaten humans, they can still cause problems in agricultural areas.
Longlegged mosquito harms plants
There are several specific species of dipteran insects with the greatest potential for harm to plants, namely:
- Caramora cabbage;
- Autumn ballerina;
- Marsh centipede.
The Centipede mosquito is dangerous to plants
If there are crops nearby that love moisture, then most likely the larvae of these insects will destroy most of them during the maturation process. For example, the autumn ballerina will willingly deal with berries, legumes, cereals and even root crops on your site.
Fortunately, the fight against this pest does not require unique means, and if there are no bodies of water near the crops, you don’t have to worry about their presence at all.
External signs of centipedes
Centipedes (also known as Tipulidae) are dipterous, long-winged insects. Their wingspan can exceed 50mm, and their body length can reach 40mm. These dimensions look rather unnatural, given the extremely small volume of the body and wings.
External signs of centipedes
Most often you can see the wings in black shades, but the body can vary greatly in color depending on the genus, with the same black color still prevailing. You can mainly notice the difference in the size of the front and rear wings. If you look closely at the belly, you can see a seam in the shape of the letter “V” on the chest of the insect.
External signs of centipedes
The “stigma” of the insect is retracted into the body and extends only when feeding on liquids. The back of the body is thickened and filled with genitals. The head is framed by long mustaches.
External signs of centipedes
Appearance Features
Centipedes belong to a family of which there are 4,200 species. They inhabit the territory of the globe with the exception of Antarctica. They love damp areas, so they live near swamps and ponds.
The structural features of the body are as follows:
- The average body size reaches 6 cm, but there are individual mosquitoes up to 10 cm that live in tropical countries.
- There are long legs at the bottom, which gives it the appearance of a spider. She moves on them like on stilts. In case of danger, these limbs are discarded, and the mosquito flies away, saving her life.
- A mustache grows from above, working like an antenna, capturing odors.
- Wings that reach 3 cm. During flight, they create a specific squeak. A mosquito has the ability to hover in one place.
- The body consists of the chest and abdomen. Color: grey, yellow-brown or orange.
- There is a short proboscis in front, which is not intended for biting.
- The tail grows at the back. Despite its intimidating appearance, this is an organ designed for laying eggs.
Centipede development stages
To understand how to fight these insects, you need to know the characteristics of their reproduction and habitat. Briefly, the life cycle of the centipede will look something like this: the female is born with already mature eggs and searches for a male. After mating dances, the female lays eggs in moist soil or on plants rich in moisture. After two weeks, larvae emerge from the eggs. They look like small black cylinders with no limbs or any legs to move around. In this state, the insect acquires organs for another two weeks and becomes an adult in about a month from the moment the eggs are laid.
Centipede larvae
They look unpleasant and their distinctive feature is a pair of spiracles at the rear end of the abdomen with fleshy outgrowths around them.
Centipede larvae
Depending on the genus, the characteristics of the larvae also differ. For example, Tipula maxima is currently spreading throughout the Moscow region. Its larvae, unlike others, crawl on the ground and leaves. They also possess tufts of short hair in the early stages.
It is in the larvae of this species that its danger manifests itself, because they are very voracious. The larvae can find food both on land and under water. There is even a short list of delicacies for these insects:
- Seaweed;
- Rotting plants;
- Roots of dacha crops;
- Tree seedlings.
Considering this list, it becomes obvious that the most unpleasant species for crops is the larva of the garden centipede, because it destroys the roots of planted crops.
Centipede mosquito larva
Features of character and lifestyle
Photo: Long-legged mosquito
Especially in the evenings, long-legged mosquitoes often form small swarms. Different species fly in very different seasons. The swamp mosquito (Tipula Oleracea) flies from April to June, and in the second generation from August to October. The pest centipede (T. paludosa) flies only in August and September, the centipede Art Tipula czizeki - only in October and November. It is likely that this different timing of occurrence is a mechanism for separating species and preventing interbreeding.
Interesting fact: These insects have a funny design feature - they have halteres next to their wings. These vestigial appendages likely help balance in flight, increasing maneuverability.
Centipede mosquito larvae can be harmful when spread en masse, especially on vegetables. Up to 400 larvae per square meter can live in the soil, where they can destroy plantations by damaging roots and, at night, damaging plant surfaces. Among the most harmful species are the pest centipede (T. paludosa), marsh centipede (T. oleracea), T. czizeki and various other species that mainly feed on young plants in the forest.
The larvae of some species also consume other live aquatic invertebrates and insects, which could potentially consist of mosquito larvae, although this has not been formally documented. Many adults have such a short lifespan that they eat virtually nothing, and despite the widespread belief that adult centipede mosquitoes prey on mosquito populations, they are anatomically incapable of killing or consuming other insects.
Habitat
Giant mosquitoes can be seen on all continents except Antarctica due to extreme climate conditions. Most often this insect can be found:
- Inside forested areas;
- In dense bushes, especially with high humidity;
- Surrounded by swamps and standing ponds.
Karamors breed exclusively in places with high levels of humidity and almost complete absence of sunlight. This means that you will never encounter this insect far from a pond or other source of water.
Distribution and diversity
Representatives of this family live on all continents, except for the central regions of the Arctic and Antarctic, as well as dry areas. Today there are more than 4,200 varieties of caramor, and many species live only in their characteristic terrain.
The largest number of species (1280) live in the Palearctic, a region that covers all of Eurasia and part of North Africa. The next most common territory is the Indomalayan zone, which is inhabited by 925 species of caramora, followed by the Neotropics, a biogeographic region of South America, which is inhabited by more than 800 species of insects of this species.
Reproduction of centipedes
The reproduction process of the Karamor is not particularly different from other mosquitoes, but it still has its own differences:
- Immediately after birth, the female caramora begins to search for a male to fertilize her ready-made eggs.
- The mating dance can last from several minutes to several hours, and can also take place in flight.
- After successful completion of the process, the female goes in search of a good place for laying, and the male flies off to feed and continue searching for the next female.
- Having found characteristic foliage with dew, moist soil or, in emergency situations, dry soil, the female uses her spout to place the eggs, hiding them from the external environment.
- After several weeks, the eggs hatch into larvae, which immediately begin to devour the rotting vegetation or moisture around them. During the formation of the pupa, the insect forms spines for movement in the soil and plant bark.
- After another two weeks have passed from the moment the larvae form, adults emerge and the cycle repeats.
The mating process of centipede mosquitoes
Mating season
Mating of mosquitoes, “eurygamy,” is expressed in the formation of a swarm of males that stay close to each other. Females attract males with a thin, squeaking buzz. The sound is generated by the movement of the wings. Its frequency is affected by the age of the individual, and males choose older female friends.
When the female enters the cloud, she is fertilized by the first male. To keep his girlfriend in flight, the male body is equipped with special appendages next to the genitals.
How long do centipedes live?
Karamora is extremely active between the months of July and the month of August. If all conditions are ideal, then within half a month a hungry larva will hatch from the egg, and after another half a month this larva will form organs and set off to increase offspring, repeating the cycle. Among insects, large mosquitoes can hardly be called long-lived. The maximum lifespan of an individual is up to two months. Specimens born at the end of August do not breed, but begin to accumulate strength for wintering.
Centipedes live for about two months
What to do if you notice a mosquito with long legs
Everything is very simple! Nothing. You can, of course, try to study it and make sure that you are looking at a Karamora, but otherwise this is an absolutely harmless and safe specimen for humans. The only cause for concern may be the periodic appearance of large mosquitoes in your home. It’s one thing if they accidentally fly through a window, but it’s completely different if there are cracks somewhere and they multiply in them.
Most often, this can be caused by soil brought inside the house, for example from a forest. It could contain Caramora eggs that hatched in favorable and warm conditions in your home. In this case, it is worth getting rid of the introduced soil and ordering the services of a disinfector, because in addition to one type of egg, it was quite possible to introduce others. In any case, you should not panic, but calmly get rid of the problem - these mosquitoes are not dangerous for you.
Origin of the species and description
Photo: Long-legged mosquito
Long-legged mosquitoes are known to mankind from Cretaceous and Tertiary amber deposits. The oldest evidence is Lebanese amber (Lower Cretaceous, about 130 million years old), the youngest example is found in Dominican amber, where it has been present since the Miocene (Neogene period) for 15 to 40 million years. Representatives of more than 30 genera have been discovered in Baltic amber, some of which still exist today.
Video: Long-legged mosquito
Fun fact: Tipulidae is one of the largest groups of mosquitoes, containing more than 526 genera and subgenera. Most centipede mosquitoes have been described by entomologist Charles Alexander, a mosquito specialist, in more than 1,000 scientific publications.
The phylogenetic position of the Tipulidae mosquito remains unknown. The classic view is that they are an early branch of Diptera - possibly with winter mosquitoes (Trichoceridae), they are the sister group of all other Diptera - inferior to modern species. Taking into account the data of molecular studies, it is possible to compare the derived characteristics of the larvae, similar to those of the “higher” dipterous insects.
Pediciidae and Tipulidae are sister groups, the "limoniids" are paraphyletic clades, and the Cylindrotominae appear to be a relict group, much better represented in the Tertiary. Tipulidae mosquitoes may have evolved from ancestors in the Upper Jurassic. The oldest examples of long-legged mosquitoes were found in Upper Jurassic limestones. In addition, representatives of the family were discovered in the Cretaceous of Brazil and Spain, and later in the Khabarovsk Territory. Also, remains of insect species can be found in Eocene limestones located near Verona.
What is the difference between centipede and malaria mosquito?
Although these differences are difficult to determine at the moment, they are still worth knowing so as not to panic unnecessarily by confusing an ordinary caramora and a malarial mosquito:
- Huge mosquitoes most often have a gray color with shades of various colors, but the abdomen of the Anopheles (malarial mosquito) is always bright in the company of a brown body;
- If for some reason the Karamor lands on the human body, it does so parallel to the skin, in turn, the malaria mosquito will take a position of 45 degrees with the intention of digging into the body;
- Although they look very scary - the disproportionate legs of a huge mosquito are absolutely harmless, while the dangerous malaria mosquito has very short legs.
This is what a long-legged mosquito looks like
This is what a malaria mosquito looks like. And the malaria mosquito is smaller in size - like a regular mosquito
Interesting facts about the large Karamor mosquito
There are many rumors floating around the Internet about the “stinging” nature of such mosquitoes, mainly to justify their own cowardice in front of the insect. Such statements cannot be genuine due to the lack of the Karamor tools for this. They are not physically adapted to such actions.
Karamora cannot tolerate existence without stagnant bodies of water and moderate air and water temperatures. Protection from the sun is also very important, otherwise the larvae simply will not survive. The optimal temperature for the existence of offspring is considered to be 25 degrees Celsius in the air. After hibernation, the activity of this mosquito species begins only in late April, but reaches its peak in mid-July, when mosquitoes begin to swarm in search of a mate.
The largest mosquitoes in the world
According to scientists, there are more than 3 thousand different species of mosquitoes on our planet. Moreover, in our country alone you can find more than a hundred species of different mosquitoes, most of them blood-sucking. Interestingly, not all types of mosquitoes are harmful to humans and the environment, so below we will look at the most important examples.
Long-legged mosquitoes - Tipulidae
Centipedes, also known as caramors, live in environments with high humidity, be it forests, swamps or fresh water bodies. This mosquito lives on almost the surface of our entire planet and, despite its enormous size, is completely harmless to humans and other animals. In our country you can find the Karamora mosquito up to 60 mm, but in the tropics records of 11 cm are registered.
Long-legged mosquitoes - Tipulidae
Festive centipede - Ctenophora festiva
The name “festive” appeared due to the chaotic coloring of the body of this mosquito from the large family of Centipedes. Here are some interesting facts about this individual:
- The maximum size of the body is 2.6 cm;
- This species is listed as endangered due to the cutting down of its natural habitat, namely old, dying trees for sanitary reasons;
- The characteristic color is brownish-black with numerous yellow markings;
- Females of this species are noticeably darker than males;
- Females place eggs in rotten dust or the hollow of a deciduous tree.
Festive centipede - Ctenophora festiva
Harmful centipede - Tipula paludosa
Festive centipede - Ctenophora festiva
The name alone should suggest the uniqueness of this sample. A small creature with a weight of one gram, long legs and a size of 2.4 cm, which can be found in any region of Eurasia and America. The larvae of this species cause damage to all cultivated plants, but most of all they like to destroy flax crops.
Mosquito - Chironomus
As with the names of other dipteran individuals, there is a distinctive characteristic here. When the twitch sits on any surface, it begins to move its paws. This species moves mainly only in huge groups, thereby creating a very characteristic sound. Interestingly enough, this swarm consists predominantly of males. The Old Russian name “Zvonets” even stuck to this species. Zvonets itself is absolutely harmless to humans and is an excellent bait for catching fish.
Mosquito - Chironomus
This family is huge and includes at least 11 other subfamilies, reaching up to 10 thousand additional species. This species inhabits our entire planet, including Antarctica. The Chironomus family is considered to be the main one. In appearance, the jerk differs from an ordinary mosquito only in its increased size and strange manner of landing - with its front legs extended forward (with which it jerks). The size of the jerk reaches 12 mm, which is 3 mm larger than a regular mosquito.
The horny organs of all individuals of this family are not completely developed, which is why they do not eat food and live no more than a week. Most often, whole swarms of these insects can be seen flying over water bodies during breeding periods. They always swarm over objects, higher than the surrounding area, for this reason they can swarm over a person’s head if they notice him, without posing any danger to the person himself.
Yellow fever biter - Aedes aegypti
Due to its color, this species has also received the additional name “Tiger Mosquito”. You won’t find anything like this here, but he himself comes from Africa. Its main name indicates a high probability of transmitting infectious diseases dangerous to humans during a bite, namely:
- Yellow fever;
- Dengue fever;
- Zika virus;
- Chikungunyi et al.
It is very easy to identify the species of this mosquito because of the white stripes on the legs and forearms. They are mainly dangerous only during dawn and evening.
Yellow fever biter - Aedes aegypti
The Greek name for the mosquito “Aedes” means “vile, vile,” as they were called by a German zoologist who studies the spread of dangerous diseases through insects. It is quite strange that of the entire genus of biters, which includes more than 700 species of different mosquitoes, only the yellow fever mosquito and the Asian tiger mosquito are dangerous to humans.
Thick-nosed mosquitoes - Chaoboridae
Unlike all its species of mosquitoes, this particular species can completely do without food. Their short lifespan simply does not require them to search for food. Like other long-whiskered dipterous mosquitoes, they prefer life near bodies of water. They have a characteristic light yellow color on the abdomen and grow to a maximum length of 2 – 10 mm. The larvae of this species are characteristically transparent, and the larvae themselves are very predatory. They feed on zooplankton, which they absorb using modified antennae.
Thick-nosed mosquitoes - Chaoboridae
Squeak mosquito - Culex pipiens
This species is unique in its ordinariness. Although it is called “common”, it is the most common type of mosquito on our entire planet. Each of us has become closely acquainted with such a mosquito at least once in our lives. Adults can grow up to 8 mm. An interesting fact is that the males of this species do not feed on human and animal blood, but are content with plant sap. Those same annoying and hated bloodsuckers are all females. The characteristic squeak of a mosquito's flight is created by achieving thousands of wing beats per second.
Squeak mosquito - Culex pipiens
One female lays more than 100 eggs in one clutch, from here you can see the terrifying rate of growth in the number of individuals. It is especially worth noting that the lifespan of these mosquitoes reaches a year. The species is distributed throughout the world, with the exception of the polar regions. The most frightening thing is that, unlike other dipterous mosquitoes, the squeak does not require ideal moisture conditions to reproduce. They can easily lay a clutch of eggs in a roadside puddle, slurry, or sewer drain.
During the formation process, the larvae feed on small aquatic fauna and even small organisms. This process lasts from 10 to 20 days and ends when the adult mosquito appears. The newly emerged male is already ready to mate, but the female first needs to drink blood in order to obtain protein for the development of eggs. When autumn colds appear, all males die, and females go into hibernation in any cold and damp place, be it a hollow tree or the basement of a building.
Holorusia mikado
Today, a specimen of the Holorusia Mikado mosquito, found in one of the provinces of China, is considered the largest mosquito in the world. The wingspan was as much as 11.5 cm, but how such a height was achieved still remains a mystery. Entomologists from many countries have devoted their scientific dissertations to the study of this particular species. This species was discovered at the end of the 19th century and despite its frightening size, it is absolutely harmless.
Holorusia mikado
It was this giant individual that was found in the mountains of the western Chinese province of Sichuan during an entomological expedition by scientist Zhao Li. Before calling this individual the largest in the world, the entomologist spent several months studying the sample in detail. An ordinary individual of the Holorusia Mikado species grows up to 8 cm. The record-breaking insect is presented in the Western China Insect Museum, where more than 700 thousand different individuals from countries around the world have already been collected.
Measures to combat centipede
If any of the harmful species of centipedes appear near crops, a comprehensive approach should be taken to combating them. This means a combination of several methods of struggle at the same time, including draining nearby swamps and reservoirs.
Agrotechnical measures
Agricultural methods usually refer to various options for soil cultivation and care to counteract insect pests. It looks like this:
- The condition of the drainage system of the land plot is checked;
- The cultivated area is cleared of weeds;
- The water level in the system is adjusted;
- Reduce soil acidity using liming;
- At the end of the harvest season, deep plowing of the site begins.
These measures will significantly reduce the risk of infection of the site by long-legged mosquitoes, and, if they already exist, significantly reduce their numbers.
Chemical method
It just so happens that insecticides of various types for treating seed or soil are still the most effective way to protect cultivated plants from pests. In the case of the fight against centipede larvae, the following groups of chemicals are used: neonicotinoids, organophosphates and pyrethroids. The best options are heptachlor and hexachlorane. Another effective method is to place traps during the spring and autumn periods. Small pits are created with the larvae’s favorite delicacies, which in turn are impregnated with pesticides. If a mosquito is spotted near large crop fields, a 12% hexachlorane solution is usually used. Fields are cultivated in the evening to affect the maximum number of individuals.
Biological method of control
Biological control of the species consists of placing a natural enemy of the pest near the nests. The simplest and most natural way is to create favorable conditions for spiders, birds and other insects higher up the pest food chain. For example, the nematodes Steinernema carpocapsae are used. They are an excellent means of eliminating caramora larvae.
