Species
Culicidae
IUCN
NCBI
EOL Text
When mosquitos bite, they inject some chemicals that help keep the blood from clotting. The bite itches because our bodies are reacting to these chemicals.
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| Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2012, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
| Source | http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Culicidae/ |
Scales allow floating: mosquito
Legs of mosquitoes allow it to float due to scales that structurally maximize trapping of air.
"We found that the mosquito’s legs are covered by numerous scales consisting of the uniform microscale longitudinal ridges (nanoscale thickness and microscale spacing between) and nanoscale cross ribs (nanoscale thickness and spacing between). Such special delicate microstructure and/or nanostructure on the leg surface give a water contact angle of ~153° and give a surprising high water-supporting ability. It was found that the water-supporting force of a single leg of the mosquito is about 23 times the body weight of the mosquito, compared with a water strider’s leg giving a water-supporting force of about 15 times the body weight of the insect.” (Wu et al. 2007:1)
Learn more about this functional adaptation.
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | (c) 2008-2009 The Biomimicry Institute |
| Source | http://www.asknature.org/strategy/e75eb04f15b59b7f2d4c0705c2b15e2c |
Steekmuggen zijn bekend omdat ze steken en irritante bulten veroorzaken. Dat doen alleen de vrouwtjes; mannetjesmuggen zijn onschuldig. De vrouwtjes hebben het bloed nodig om eieren te kunnen leggen. Bij het steken spuiten ze een antistollingsmiddel in het lichaam, zodat ze het bloed zonder klonten kunnen opzuigen. Dit middel veroorzaakt de jeuk en de muggebulten. De larven van de steekmuggen zijn waterdieren. Ze hangen net onder het wateroppervlak in zoet water, waar ze algen en kleine deeltjes uit het water filteren. Ze zijn prooi voor vis, kevers en andere rovers.
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | Ecomare |
| Source | http://www.ecomare.nl/index.php?id=3713&L=2 |
Antennae sense frequency of wingbeats: mosquito
The antennae of male mosquitoes help them find female mosquitoes by sensing the frequency of their wingbeats with fine, hair-like structures.
"The antennae of male mosquitoes and midges are also adapted to find females of their kind, but in a different way. The brush-like male antennae are sensitive to sound waves, particularly to those of the frequency of the wingbeat of females; so when a male midge 'hears' a female with his antennae, he flies towards the source of the good vibrations. The response is so simple that the insect will be attracted to anything producing vibrations at the correct frequency (even a tuning-fork)…" (Foy and Oxford Scientific Films 1982:133)
Learn more about this functional adaptation.
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | (c) 2008-2009 The Biomimicry Institute |
| Source | http://www.asknature.org/strategy/6f45705a3bc7436968707bb19152c915 |
Mosquitoes are known for the irritating bites they cause. These are always the females; the males are innocent. The females need the blood to lay their eggs. When they bite, they release an anti-coagulating substance in the body, so they can suck the blood without it solidifying. This substance causes itching and mosquito lumps. Mosquito larvae are aquatic. They hang just under the water surface in fresh water, where they filter algae and small particles out of the water. The larvae are prey for fish, beetles and other predators.
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | Ecomare |
| Source | http://www.ecomare.nl/index.php?id=3713&L=2 |
Needle-like structure inserts painlessly: mosquito
The proboscis of the mosquito inserts painlessly because the jagged edge of the proboscis leaves only small points in contact.
"In mosquitoes the proboscis is a marvelously intricate structure…consisting of six different stylets, each adapted for a particular purpose--for making the primary incision, inserting anti-coagulant and digestive enzymes contained in the insect's saliva and, finally, withdrawing the blood itself. All the stylets are secreted within a protective sheath formed by the labium or lower lip, which, during blood extraction, is slid up out of the way into a loop form." (Wootton 1984:72)
Learn more about this functional adaptation.
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | (c) 2008-2009 The Biomimicry Institute |
| Source | http://www.asknature.org/strategy/636c06831f239d4122da877528a30ca4 |
Culicidae (Mosquitoes)
Adult mosquitoes occasionally obtain nectar at flowers, but they are not significant pollinators in temperate climates. Their larvae breed in water, while the females require a blood-meal from warm-blooded animals in order to lay numerous eggs. Mosquitoes can transmit numerous diseases to humans.
- Hilty, J. Editor. 2015. Insect Visitors of Illinois Wildflowers. World Wide Web electronic publication. illinoiswildflowers.info, version (06/2015)
See: Abbreviations for Insect Activities, Abbreviations for Scientific Observers, References for behavioral observations
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | Copyright © 2002-2015 by Dr. John Hilty |
| Source | http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/flower_insects/files/flies.htm |
Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) Stats
Specimen Records:46381
Specimens with Sequences:35662
Specimens with Barcodes:32479
Species:1562
Species With Barcodes:1111
Public Records:20547
Public Species:571
Public BINs:573
There are mosquitos all over the world, anywhere there is fresh water for their larvae. There are over 2,500 species of mosquitos in the world, and about 200 of them are found in North America.
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native ); palearctic (Native ); oriental (Native ); ethiopian (Native ); neotropical (Native ); australian (Native )
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2012, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
| Source | http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Culicidae/ |