Mosquitoes Identification

Mosquitoes Identification

Latin name:Family Culicidae

Physical appearance

Mosquitoes and true flies are of the same family, the Diptera, and so, has just one pair of wings. Other characteristic feature of the Diptera family is the long and thin leg they possess, as well as a proboscis which is attached to their head. Mosquitoes typically measure between 3 and 9mm lengthwise, and their bodies are in most cases covered by scales.

Eating habit and behavior

Mosquitoes, the female one in particular feeds on human blood to nurture her eggs. Also, both the male and female derive their diet from the nectars of flowers. Mosquitoes breed well mostly in stagnant water bodies. At larvae stage, the mosquito feeds on microscopic organisms, and will sometimes feed on organic materials like flotsam. Certain species of mosquitos’ prey on smaller mosquitoes. Mosquitoes, especially the female ones are mostly active during the evenings when there is little light. They operate mostly in the dark because the sun kills them off easily.

Are mosquitoes and flies the same?

Some people often confuse flies for mosquitoes. Unlike flies, mosquitoes are equipped with a powerful proboscis with which it bites and draws blood from the skin of humans and animal. Furthermore, flies mostly do not possess the long legs mosquitoes have, and even when they do, they are way smaller than that possessed by mosquitoes. Mosquitoes pose severe health threat as they are vectors of pathogens that cause diseases like malaria, dengue and Nile virus.

Reproduction

The male mosquito is equipped with an antenna with which it uses to locate a female. To produce and sustain her eggs, the female mosquito will have to feed on blood. After the gestation period, she would proceed to any stagnant water body or even to buckets and bird baths to lay her egg. The number of egg one singe mosquito can lay varies, and is dependent on the particular specie. 100 eggs is the average number. The eggs when they hatch form wigglers, a larva in the shape of a worm. After sometime, the wigglers would become a pupa, which is known in science as tumblers, after which it would molt into an Adult mosquito.

Signs of Mosquito Infestation

Some clear tell-a-tale signs of mosquito infestation include mosquito bites and an irritating buzzing sound. People react to mosquito bites in several ways. While some barely experience a slight irritation, others suffer severe swelling and inflammation.

Mosquitoes love stagnant water. Even the water in a kitchen sink or a dish attracts them.

Difference between the female and male mosquito

The physical difference between the male and female mosquito can only be seen via a microscope or magnifying glass, though some of the physical differences can be seen by those with a trained eyes. The commonest differences include:

• While the female mosquito feeds on human and animal blood, the male doesn’t. However, there are some species of female mosquito that don’t feed on blood but solely on the nectars of flowers.
• While the male mosquito has a rough and bushy proboscis, that of the females is smooth.
• The mosquito’s ability to hear comes from the hair attached to its antennae. Male mosquito is characterized by large and feathery antennae. On the other hand, the female mosquito can be easily identified by its smooth antennae.
• The female mosquito is bigger and lives longer than the male mosquito, regardless of the specie.