Thumbprints - Mosquito
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Common Name: Mosquito Scientific Name: Culex Quinque Fasciatas Family: Diptera (True Flies) Notes: There are about 2,500 different species of mosquitos (family Culicidae) which are all have the potential to affect public health because of the bloodsucking habits of the females. Mosquitos are known to transmit such serious diseases as yellow fever, malaria, filariasis, and dengue. The slender, elongated body of the adult is covered with scales; in addition the mosquito is characterized by its long, fragile-looking legs and its mouthparts, which are contained in an elongated proboscis. The threadlike antennae of the male are generally bushier than those of the female. The males, and sometimes the females, feed on nectar and other plant juices. In most species, however, the females require a blood meal in order to mature their eggs, which are laid on the surface of water. Different species of mosquitoes show preferences and, in many cases, narrow restrictions as to host animals. The eggs laid by mosquitos hatch into aquatic larvae, or wrigglers, which swim with a jerking, wriggling movement and feed on algae and organic debris; a few are predatory and may even feed on other mosquitos. Unlike most insects, mosquitos in the pupal stage, called tumblers, are active and free-swimming. The pupae breathe by means of tubes on the thorax. The adults mate soon after emerging from their pupal cases. The duration of the life cycle varies greatly depending on the species. Mosquitos are apparently attracted to host animals by moisture, lactic acid, carbon dioxide, body heat, and movement. The mosquito's hum results from the high frequency of its wingbeats; the female's slightly lower frequency may serve as a means of sex recognition.