2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
The annoying squeak of a mosquito, itchy bite sites are familiar to townspeople and residents of country houses. We offer you to get to know this insect better. Read the details about the life of an ordinary mosquito, about its behavior, reproduction, the rules for choosing a victim, which blood type they prefer, and much more
The most famous vampire
The common mosquito, called the squeaky, is widespread. It is ubiquitous on almost all continents and islands. Lives even in Antarctica on the coastal edge. He especially loves coniferous, damp forests, marshlands and the proximity of water bodies.
The sizes of mosquitoes are different 3-7 mm, the main food is plant sap. To prolong the genus, females drink blood, thanks to this they can actively reproduce. So only females bite us. Males spend their entire life in vegetarianism.
This insect is of great epidemic importance. Females can carry many diseases (Japanese encephalitis, avian malaria, meningitis). In addition, they are able to spread helminths, pathogenic organisms, trematodes. Subspecies living in the tropics and subtropics are capable of infecting with arbovirus infections and wuchereriasis.
The mosquito is part of the Diptera squad, although there are four wings. During flight, both pairs work synchronously, making a thousand strokes per second. This work of the wings creates a peculiar sound, which we call "mosquito squeak".
Mosquito life
Reproduction takes place only in warm weather. The female lays eggs in stagnant warm water (edges of lakes, swamps, puddles, artificial reservoirs, barrels, banks, forest swamps, etc.). The eggs are laid out in batches of 30, which float on the surface.
Several metamorphoses occur in the life cycle of a mosquito. These changes are reflected in the appearance and change in the habitat. The existence of a bloodsucker begins with the stage of laid eggs, which are transformed into larvae. Their development takes place in water, the stage is 2-8 days. In this state, they pass four molts, turn into pupae, from which mature individuals emerge.
The larva has everything it needs to live in the water. There is a breathing segment on the abdomen with a valve that closes when submerged. There is also a tail fin to help you swim. Transforming into a pupa, a transparent cephalothorax appears, in which the body of the future mosquito is visible. The chrysalis stage takes only a couple of days.
The common mosquito has mastered the urban environment perfectly. There he is active all year round, since with the onset of cold weather, he moves to the basements of houses, reproduces favorably where there is open water and puddles. Therefore, the townspeople can meet with this bloodsucking in winter.
What We Don't Know About Mosquitoes?
The main food of mosquitoes is plants. An observation carried out in the Moscow region revealed that the most beloved are burdock, tansy, yarrow, as well as plants of the Resedov family. A female who did not drink blood can lay only 5-10 eggs, having received a dose of blood - up to 200 pieces. The victims are not only people, but also animals, birds, mice. At one time, the mosquito is able to drink a volume of blood that exceeds its weight.
Many people don't know that mosquitoes have lips. Indeed, what we call the proboscis is the transformed lips folded in the form of a tube. There are jaws, tongue and numerous teeth (50 pieces). With their help, punctures are made on the victim's skin.
Vampire saliva has the ability to inhibit blood clotting. In males, the oral organ is underdeveloped and adapted only for drinking nectar. For breeding, males prefer older “ladies”, which produce a more “bass” sound than young females.
Whom do mosquitoes bite more often?
Some people are more susceptible to mosquito attacks. Research in this area has identified several reasons. The main one is the blood group, the first is the most preferable. The owners of the second group also show increased interest.
Why do mosquitoes bite children more often? The reason here is not the thinness of the skin. It turns out that the child emits more carbon dioxide, just like pregnant women, this fact attracts insects.
People with a fast metabolism are popular with mosquitoes, as they have warmer blood. This fact attracts females. Also drunken persons fall into the group of mosquito pets. Mosquitoes love the alcoholic aroma, and they also fly to the bright smell of sweat.
What mosquitoes don't like
Flying at high altitudes is not for mosquitoes. Although vertical walls of houses contribute to takeoffs, they can appear in apartments on the ninth and even fourteenth floors. In nature, they do not fly higher than three meters.
A hot climate inhibits the activity of mosquitoes, so at +28 they are invisible. In cool weather (below +12), they will also not bother you with their annoying squeak.
Recommended:
What Plants Will Help Repel Mosquitoes?
Mosquitoes on the site are very unpleasant, because proper disinfection of water containers and systematic mowing of grass do not always help in the fight against these bloodthirsty creatures. So why not turn your attention to plants that can repel mosquitoes? It is enough just to plant them on your site, and the attacks of malicious insects, if they do not stop altogether, then, at least, will not become so massive. And repellents may no longer be needed
Interesting Facts About Cherries
Cherry is a tasty, healthy and available berry in our latitudes for absolutely everyone. And almost all summer residents are well aware of how to grow cherry trees and how to care for them, and in the arsenal of modern hostesses there is a truly incredible number of recipes for a wide variety of cherry dishes! Do you know how the Latin name of cherry is translated, that these berries can become a very good alternative to aspirin and how you can improve sleep with the help of cherries
Interesting Facts About The Christmas Tree
The new year 2020 is coming very soon - the year of the White Metal Rat. And, of course, according to the good old tradition, almost each of us will put up an elegant festive Christmas tree at home! Did you know that the age of the oldest Christmas tree on the planet is a little less than ten thousand years, that these fragrant trees were originally decorated with bright flowers, and that spruce needles and cones have a lot of beneficial properties for human health?
Interesting Melon Facts
The season of juicy melons and ripe watermelons is in full swing - almost everyone loves these bright and healthy fruits! However, not all of us know that both watermelons and melons have a great many interesting features! You are probably already familiar with some of them, but there are also such interesting nuances that many will learn about for the first time! Do you, for example, know where exactly in the world the most melons are grown, and how many varieties of this culture are now known to mankind?
Interesting Facts About Watermelon
In the midst of the blessed season of melons and watermelons, it will not hurt to learn a little more about these delicious and incredibly popular melons and gourds. We have recently talked about melons, and now the turn of watermelons has come: let's find out how much the largest watermelon weighed, are the fruits edible without seeds, is it possible to eat watermelon seeds or crusts, and why in Japan they began to grow watermelons in the form of a square?
