Features of the structure of the mosquito. Mosquito insect. Lifestyle and habitat of a mosquito Difference of a female mosquito from a male

Which in most cases are a component of the sinus complex. Oral organs are characteristic of this family: the upper and lower lip are elongated and form a case in which long thin needles are placed (2 pairs of jaws); males have underdeveloped jaws - they do not bite. Legless larvae and motile mosquito pupae live in stagnant waters. In the world there are more than 3000 species of mosquitoes belonging to 38 genera. Representatives of 100 species belonging to the genera of real mosquitoes live in Russia ( Culex), bites ( Aedes), Culisetamalaria mosquitoes ( Anopheles), Toxorhinchites, Uranotaenia, Orthopodomyia, Coquillettidia. Two subfamilies are distinguished within the family: malaria mosquitoes (Anophelinae) and non-malaria mosquitoes (Culicinae). Fossil mosquitoes have been known since the Eocene.

Area

Lifestyle

Like all other dipteran insects, mosquitoes have 4 phases of development: egg, larva, pupa, and imago. Moreover, all phases, except adults, live in reservoirs, mainly flowing ones. Mosquito larvae - filter or scrapers feed on aquatic microorganisms. The nutrition of adults is twofold: females of most species of midges drink the blood of vertebrates: mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians; at the same time, males and females of all species of midges, without exception, feed on the nectar of flowering plants. However, representatives of the tribe Toxorhinchitini have predatory larvae, while their adults feed exclusively on nectar. When choosing a victim, the female mosquito focuses on carbon dioxide exhaled by humans, on thermal radiation, as well as on the smell of lactic acid contained in the sweat. The female mosquito also reacts to light. For example, if you turn on the light in the hallway and open the door, the female mosquitoes will move there, regardless of the fact that people will continue to be in a dark room all this time. A similar experiment was conducted, and this method also helps to fight mosquitoes.

So, the average life span of a female S. p. pipiens f. molestus is highly temperature dependent. In laboratory conditions (such observations were not made in the cellars), females live on average 43 days on carbohydrate food at 25 ° C, 57 days at 20 ° C, and 114-119 days at 10-15 ° C; in the absence of nutrition, life expectancy is greatly reduced. The life expectancy of males in all cases is much shorter, so at 25 ° C it is only 19 days.

A completely different picture is observed in mosquitoes of the pipiens ecotype, which under certain circumstances can become long-livers. If females hatched from pupae in July - early August, then they all diapause and go on wintering, which lasts until March-May; after wintering, they multiply and live another 1-2 months. In total, the lifespan of such females is about a year. For comparison, the lifespan of Aedes mosquitoes that diapause at the egg stage is much shorter: they are born in spring, multiply and die by autumn.

Breeding

Female mosquitoes during mating attract the attention of males with a characteristic subtle sound resembling a squeak that is created using wings. Mosquitoes pick up sound vibrations with their sensitive antennae. Females squeak a little thinner than males, young ones - not like old ones. And male mosquitoes hear this and make a choice in favor of adult females. Mosquitoes form a swarm, where males and females mate. A female mosquito lays 30-150 eggs every 2-3 days. An egg develops into an adult mosquito within a week. For reproduction of eggs, mosquitoes require blood, so the egg-laying cycle is directly dependent on blood consumption.

Mosquito bite

Before a female mosquito begins to drink blood, she introduces an anticoagulant under her skin that prevents blood coagulation. It is this substance that causes swelling, redness at the site of the bite, and in some cases a severe allergic reaction.

Value in nature

Mosquitoes are an integral component of natural communities. The number of groups of animals for which they are food is tens. In addition, mosquitoes, like other insects, whose larvae actively feed in the aquatic environment, are one of the main causes of soil depletion.

Value in human life

Mosquito wings oscillate with a frequency of 500-600 (some species even 1000) once a second, thereby creating a characteristic sound. Different types of mosquitoes squeak in different ways. The flight speed of the mosquito is 3.2 km / h.

see also

Notes

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See what "Mosquito (insect)" is in other dictionaries:

Husband. famous insect Culex. There was a mosquito, a mosquito, became a mosquito a mosquito. Here the mosquito will not tarnish the nose, the case is clean, sewn and covered, there is no nit-picking. A mosquito gives birth to a mosquito, a human being. A lot of mosquitoes, prepare boxes (wicker, by berry); many… … Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary

Insect; gnats (dec.) / flying: midges // collected. ::. midge; midge (dec.) Dictionary of synonyms of the Russian language. A practical guide. M .: Russian language. Z. E. Alexandrova. 2011. insect ... Synonym dictionary

Make an elephant out of a mosquito. Dictionary of Russian synonyms and similar expressions. under. ed. N. Abramova, M .: Russian dictionaries, 1999. mosquito mosquito, midge, centipede, bells, dergunets, mokrets, derguns, pusher, mosquitoes, mosquitoes, chironomids ... ... Synonym dictionary

Mosquito, mosquito, husband. A long-billed, dipteran insect whose female bites painfully. Cloud mosquitoes were flying in the air. Mosquito bite. Malaria mosquitoes. "Oh! summer is red, I would love you when it weren’t for heat, dust, mosquitoes, flies. ”Pushkin. ❖ Mosquito ... Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov

KOMAR, a husband. Small two-winged insect with a sharp stinging proboscis. K. will not tarnish his nose (you can’t quibble, because it’s done very well; unfolded). | decrease a mosquito, a husband. | collect. mosquito, me, cf. | adj. mosquito, ow, ow. K. squeak (subtle sound ... ... Explanatory Dictionary Ozhegova - a /; m. see also mosquito, mosquito Two-winged blood-sucking insect with a thin body. Malaria coma / r. the mosquito will not smack the nose ... Dictionary of many expressions

  - (Mat.23: 24) A small but very restless insect belonging to the same category of insects as mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are found in abundance mainly in damp areas, but they are rarely afternoon, with the exception of dense forests. ... ... Bible. Old and New Testaments. Synodal translation. Bible Encyclopedia arch. Nicephorus.

On Earth, there are more than 3,000 species and 38 subspecies of mosquitoes. They appeared more than 400 million years ago. We are better known for the common mosquito. These are blood-sucking insects, annoying to tourists, and residents of cities, and summer residents, and villagers. The squeak of their wings prevents them from falling asleep, after biting redness appears on the skin and itching. The habitats of the bloodsuckers are very diverse. But we must remember that they like humidity, light and warm blood.

If you carefully consider the anatomical features and differences, you can notice a significant difference in the structure of the oral cavity of the male and female. Female individuals have a complex organization. The upper jaw cuts the skin. At the same time, movements are made and the bottom. After that, the female mosquito sucks out blood, injects a special anticoagulant enzyme. It does not allow blood to clot and causes itching, and in some cases even allergies. The danger lies in the fact that with the saliva, the female can transmit infections transmitted by her.

Male Diet

An aqueous solution of sugar is the basis of the composition of nectar. It contains essential oils, sugar in equal amounts. Sugar is an indispensable source of energy, and male mosquitoes have enough energy and calorie nectar to maintain vitality. Carbohydrates contained in plant cells are also energy-intensive, along with organic substances such as alkaloids, resins, fatty acids, tannins, etc. In addition, the plant has a complex of trace elements that ensure the full life of insects.

So, the answer to the question, what does the male mosquito eat, is quite simple. He eats nectar and plant juice. The difference between the diet of male and female is that female individuals still need the blood components of warm-blooded animals and people to continue the genus.

Mosquitoes are known to people as bloodsuckers, annoying in the warm season. Their bites are painful, and a subtle buzzing above the ear can unbalance even the calmest person. But the list of what the mosquito eats does not only consist of blood. Some of the individuals are very friendly to humans.

Insect description

Mosquitoes are a large family of insects, which includes 3,500 described species. They live all over the world with the exception of Antarctica: wherever there is a person whose blood is necessary for procreation. But for successful life, they also need moisture and heat, so most of the family are settled in the tropics. In the temperate zone, mosquitoes are kept near ponds, in river valleys, shady forests and swamps.

Sugar-containing liquids obtained from plant sap are what mosquitoes eat in the swamp and in the forest. But, in order to lay eggs, from which pupae will then appear, female insects need blood from warm-blooded animals, less often reptiles. They give preference, of course, to human blood, for which they are unloved by people. Some of it is used in the body not only to reproduce offspring, but also to feed the female.

How is the mouthpart of a mosquito?

The mouth apparatus, which provides nutrition to the mosquito, is a piercing-sucking type. It has a rather complex structure and is hidden in the lower lip of the insect, which has the shape of a proboscis tube. Sharp stilettos of jaws are located in it.

When bitten, mosquitoes carry dangerous infections: malaria, yellow fever, West Nile fever, tularemia.

When an insect lands on a prey, it lowers the proboscis into the skin to the depth of the capillaries. Cutting a hole, a mosquito easily sucks blood.

Mosquito feeding

The basis of nutrition is sugar of plant origin. More rare types of food in mosquitoes are exofloral nectar and honey dew. Female mosquitoes combine plant food and blood, while males eat only nectar of flowers and plant juices.

Feeding females

“Bloodlust” in females is explained by the fact that they need animal protein to form eggs after mating. For this reason, they attack humans and mammals, and some species bite birds and reptiles.

While biting the skin, a saliva containing anticoagulants is simultaneously introduced into the microscopic hole - they prevent blood coagulation and, therefore, its thickening. Therefore, liquid blood is easily absorbed by a female mosquito through its long proboscis. The preferred time for hunting mosquitoes is evening and night hours, when there are no scorching rays of the sun.

In saliva, there are substances that cause an allergic reaction in humans. For this reason, the bite site sometimes swells and reddens, and severe itching appears on the affected area. The use of antihistamines will help relieve unpleasant symptoms.

How do they choose a victim?

Despite their small size, mosquitoes possess excellently developed sensory organs. Across the entire surface of the body, there are receptors capable of recognizing a person at a distance of 40-50 m. The characteristics of the smell that an insect captures are a fundamental criterion in choosing a victim and a sign of the start of an attack.

Most olfactory mosquito receptors are tuned to recognize substances present in the blood and sweat of a person or animal. The Anopheles gambiae species, which carries the most dangerous malaria, almost always selects only people as a source of food, although observations made by scientists have shown that in the absence of an available alternative, the female will ultimately attack any victim because she urgently needs protein food.

On mosquito antennas, 72 different types of receptors are located.

When searching for a blood source, the female is guided by:

1. The amount of carbon dioxide. This compound attracts insects because it is produced by humans and animals by respiration. Together with it, a person exhales a whole list of other chemicals: octenol and various acids. Mosquitoes, thanks to their sensitive receptors, painstakingly distinguish between such a composition and analyze it, choosing the most preferred victim. So, in an adult, a larger volume of substances leaves the respiratory tract, so they are bitten more often than young children. In the "list of preferences" of bloodsuckers and pregnant victims, in which the ratio of exhaled substances changes when expecting a baby.
2. Body odor. It depends on the colonies of bacteria that live in the vicinity of the genital glands. Sweat, like a biological fluid, has an unpleasant odor for humans, but is very attractive to mosquitoes. Therefore, a person who has been engaged in hard work for a long time will be attacked faster than the soul who has just left.
3. Secretions of the skin. Mosquitoes well capture the substances contained in them, and rush to their prey.
4. Blood type. According to the results of the research, mosquitoes are “to their liking” the first group, and they attack people least often from the second.
5. Lactic acid. It is released along with perspiration and exhaled carbon dioxide.

There are other parameters by which bloodsuckers choose a victim. Among them are the body temperature of a person, the movements he makes, and even the color of his clothes. But it is the aroma of man and the composition of the biological fluids secreted by them that play a key role.

Male nutrition

What the male mosquitoes eat makes them completely harmless, because they have been searching for plant-based foods all their lives. The substances necessary for their short life accumulate in their body during their stay in the larval stage. Therefore, in their oral apparatus there are no cutting elements as unnecessary.

Mosquito larvae and pupae

During its second and third stages of development - larvae and pupae - the mosquito is constantly in the water. For nutrition, they use small organic particles and microorganisms. This is a time of intense nutrition, when the larvae store nutrients. As a result, from the moment they exit the egg and turn into a pupa, their body volume increases 500 times.

The nutrition of mosquitoes is much more interesting and diverse than most people imagine this process. Nature has thought through everything to the smallest detail: a complex system of olfactory receptors, the oral apparatus, and features of insect behavior. All this ensures the enviable fertility of the family, the survival of the population and its resistance to adverse environmental conditions.

Is a very positive insect, then certainly not much can be said positive about the hero of today's article - a mosquito. But you can say a lot of interesting things, for example, a mosquito is a very ancient representative of the fauna of our planet, these small flying bloodsuckers have bothered dinosaurs, and even today they are no less annoying.

Mosquito: description, structure, characteristic. What does a mosquito look like?

The mosquito belongs to the Diptera squad and the family of blood-sucking mosquitoes. Mosquitoes have been living on Earth for 145 million years.

The mosquito has a thin body from 4 to 14 mm in length. Mosquito wings are transparent, they reach up to 3 cm in diameter and are covered with small scales. The abdomen of a mosquito consists of ten segments. The long legs of the mosquito end with two claws.

The color of the mosquito, in addition to the usual black or brown, can be quite unusual, as in nature green, yellow, orange and red mosquitoes are found.

An interesting fact: among the large family of mosquitoes there are also wingless species.

Also, mosquitoes have a kind of antenna, consisting of 15 parts, on which are located the olfactory organs and auditory receptors, working on the principle of a temperature sensor. It is with the help of such an antenna that the mosquito finds its victim.

How many mosquitoes live

It is very curious that female mosquitoes live much longer than males, whose average life expectancy is only 17-19 days. The life span of a female depends on the ambient temperature and can range from 40 to 120 days. True, given that it is the female mosquitoes that suck blood, their life often ends prematurely ...

Where mosquitoes live

Almost everywhere, with the exception of always cold Antarctica, but these insects are most common in areas with a hot and humid climate, where they remain active throughout the year. In temperate latitudes during the period of winter colds they fall into hibernation, awakening with the advent of spring. It is interesting that even in the Arctic for those few weeks when the heat comes there, mosquitoes breed with terrible force and very annoying the herds there.

What mosquitoes eat

It is probably no secret to anyone that only female mosquitoes suck blood, while males are quite harmless creatures. Male mosquitoes feed exclusively on nectar or plant sap.

But for the reproduction of offspring, females need protein food, which they just get from the blood, both humans and animals.

How a mosquito bites

Sitting on the skin of their prey, female mosquitoes gnaw a hole in the skin with sharp jaws, immerse their proboscis there, through which blood is sucked. Simultaneously with a bite, a special saliva is injected into the wound, which does not allow blood to clot, it is it that causes an allergic reaction in the form of itching, redness of the skin and swelling.

Are mosquitoes dangerous to humans?

Yes, and it’s not only the swelling and unpleasant itching caused by mosquito bites, but the fact that many mosquitoes can be carriers of dangerous viruses and infections. Mosquitoes that live in the tropics of Asia, Africa and South America are especially dangerous, as they can be carriers of such dangerous diseases as malaria, encephalitis, yellow fever, Zika virus, West Nile fever, etc.

Enemies of mosquitoes

Of course, mosquitoes themselves have a lot of enemies in natural conditions, so they and their larvae are a tasty treat for many insects, birds, fish and amphibians: frogs, newts, salamanders, dragonflies, spiders, aquatic,.

It is also very interesting that mosquito larvae often feed on the larvae of insects such as the swimming beetle and dragonfly.

The difference between a female and a male mosquito

The mosquito is male and female, what is the difference between them in appearance. First of all, in the structure of the oral organ - the male’s jaws are underdeveloped, because he does not need to gnaw through his skin in order to drink blood.

Types of mosquitoes, photos and names

In nature, there are a great many different types of mosquitoes, we will describe the most interesting of them:

Common mosquito (squeak)

It is the most common member of the mosquito family. It lives on a wide geographical area, it is these mosquitoes that often bother us during forest picnics, walks near ponds, or even just at home.

Mosquito centipede (karamora)

These mosquitoes live exclusively in places with high humidity: near ponds, swamps, in shady thickets. They are large as for mosquitoes - reach 4-8 cm in length. And also these mosquitoes are safe for humans, since they feed exclusively on nectar and plant sap, but can cause harm to farmland and forest plantations.

Malaria mosquito (anopheles)

Hionei (winter mosquitoes)

These mosquitoes are similar at the same time to large spiders and to centipedes. Nevertheless, they differ both from these and from these in their way of life. They differ from other mosquitoes in their ability to tolerate cold, and therefore winter mosquitoes can occur even in winter.

Also known as mosquito bells. It is a harmless representative of the mosquito family, as it eats exclusively plant foods. It lives mainly on the shores of water bodies. It differs from other mosquitoes in its appearance - it has a yellowish-green color with long limbs.

Breeding mosquitoes

The life cycle of a mosquito consists of four stages of development:

• Egg: every 2-3 days, the female lays 30 to 150 eggs in the water, which mature from 2 to 8 days.
• Mosquito larva: emerges from an egg, then lives in a pond and feeds on local microorganisms. Breathes air through a special tube. During its development and formation, it goes through 4 molting, until, finally, it turns into a chrysalis.
• Pupa: its development also occurs in water and lasts up to 5 days. As it grows older, it changes color, becoming black.
• Imago: It is an adult mosquito living on land.

First, males fly into the light, having gathered in a swarm, they expect females to mate. After mating, the fertilized female goes in search of the blood that she needs to lay her eggs.

How to get rid of mosquitoes at home

Sometimes mosquitoes have a bad habit of penetrating homes, bothering people in every possible way. As a means of protecting against mosquitoes, people have developed many tools, among which special mosquito nets will be very useful, preventing mosquitoes from entering the house through open windows.

Another effective mosquito repellent can be special repellents, odor-producing substances that repel mosquitoes, although their disadvantage may be that the smell of repellents can have a bad effect not only on mosquitoes, but also on people.

As a folk remedy for mosquito control, a pot of geraniums, whose smell also scares away these flying bloodsuckers, is quite suitable.

• It was the mosquito that played a key role in the good old science fiction film Jurassic Park, through the blood found in the ancient mosquito that got into amber, scientists were able to access the DNA of dinosaurs and thus “resurrect” these prehistoric dinosaurs.
• The average mosquito’s flight speed is 3.2 km per hour, but skillfully using air currents, mosquitoes can fly up to 100 km.
• The mosquito’s weight is so small that it will not cause hesitation on the web and will not attract the attention of the spider.

Mosquitoes, video

And finally, an interesting documentary about one dangerous type of mosquito - “mosquito killers”.

Mosquitoes eat human blood - a known fact. However, this is not the only source of nutrition, due to which insects breed in the wild. The basis of nutrition is sugar.

The differences between the female and the male mosquito in the diet are insignificant. Both sexes of different ages consume sugar of plant origin, honey dew, less often nectar. Male mosquitoes feed exclusively on these “products,” the female mosquito needs human or animal blood. This feature gives an answer to the question of whether the male or female bites.

Energetically, blood and nectar are interchangeable products. They support vital energy, improve reproductive functions, and make the life cycle complete. However, there are different ones that feed mainly on nectar or are dependent on blood.

Interesting!

An ordinary female swamp mosquito or a squeak female to be able to lay eggs. Without this “product”, the female continues to live in the swamp, in the basements, but does not have the opportunity to extend the genus. Females live for about 56 days, depending on weather conditions, the male mosquito dies soon after fertilization, the life cycle is only 10 days.

Sugar Plant Nutrition

Insects to replenish vital reserves choose certain plants:

• tansy;
• burdock;
• yarrow.

Most of all they love tansy, 10 individuals are collected at once on a flower. published by foreign researchers: preference for plant foods give virgin females. There were no more than 45% of pregnant women. Fructose has a beneficial effect on the body of insects, so they need plant food.

Blood supply

What gender mosquitoes circle over a person, animals, it is easy to guess. Males are not interested in this type of food, therefore, they always keep far from a person. The female drinks blood, according to the radiated heat, the smell of carbon dioxide, which is released during exhalation.

Female mosquitoes feed on the blood of wild animals in the forest, and cattle and humans in the countryside. In the city, the main food source for females is the blood of people and pets. Whether mosquitoes bite birds has been determined in the laboratory. Insects bit mice, birds, cats, dogs. A female weighing 3 mg at a time can eat about 5 mg of blood.

In order for the female to stay for a long time near the main power source, some conditions must be met - the presence of places with high humidity for laying eggs. In the wild, these are swamps, an area near rivers, lakes with stagnant water, and large puddles. In the city there are cellars.

On a note!

Females eat, in addition to blood, plant foods, the presence of two sources of nutrition is the key to a long life - 56 days. In the apartment, insects can find blood for procreation, but they will not find the nectar that is required to replenish energy reserves. Under such conditions, the female lifespan is reduced.

External differences between males and females

Determining who annoys the human nervous system, circling over the body, is not difficult at all, for this there is no need even to consider. Since males are not interested in blood, they stay away from humans. A mosquito with a furry mustache is a female individual, which, thanks to its “antennas,” easily determines the location of the victim.

The female mosquito looks unattractive. The size of the mosquito is from 4 to 14 mm. Transparent wings are covered with small scales, reach a span of 3 cm. It is represented by a wide chest and abdomen of 10 segments, which is supported by long legs. The limbs end with sharp claws that allow them to cling to any surface.

The usual color of the mosquito is gray, brownish in color. In view of the fact that the insect has a translucent cover, food is visible. A red, orange, green, yellow tint appears. They can bite thanks to special jaws, suck blood with a proboscis, secrete enzymes during bloodsucking, which is why it is accompanied by itching. Some representatives have brushes on the tips of the paws, antennae. There are wingless species.

The male mosquito looks almost the same as the female. A significant difference is observed in size. The elongated body is about 5 mm. The color is always gray, brown or greenish. The oral apparatus is different, the underdeveloped jaws do not allow an insect to bite through the skin of an animal, a person.