The Long-mouthed Mosquito is a valuable link in the environmental chain

The largest mosquito on earth is the centipede.It can be found in thickets in all wet forests and parks located on the banks of reservoirs or rivers. In the old days in Russia they were called caramoras. Folklore mentioned them in proverbs and fairy tales. From here we know "mosquito-mosquito", "mosquito that was married on the gun" and many characters of fairy tales.

It happens that these long-legged mosquitoes fly intohome of people, and it causes panic. Fortunately, there is no need to worry, because a large mosquito is a harmless insect that feeds exclusively on the nectar of flowers. Neither man nor animals, it does not harm. Their voracious larvae eat the decaying remains of plants, so their presence in the puddles formed in the garden is very useful.

They live and breed wherever climaticconditions contribute to this. For example, in North Africa, a large mosquito reaches gigantic proportions - up to ten centimeters. There are a lot of centipedes in Europe, there are more common species that have a length of up to six centimeters. Asian forests and swamps are home to many species of centipedes of very different sizes.

By itself, a large mosquito is small.Its size depends on the length of the legs. Its slightly extended head contains nineteen small segments, which are well pollinated by plants while nectar feeding. The eyes are very large. There are two of them, but the vision is organized by mosaic perception, that is, each eye consists of several eye plates that collect the overall picture in parts.

Call of moisture is a very important instinct with whichpossesses a big mosquito. As soon as it comes time to lay eggs, the female mosquito searches for a body of water. This may be a pond, and maybe a regular puddle or a tub with water. Eggs are laid directly on the surface of the water. After two weeks of hatching, the larvae have a respiratory organ in their long tail. In order not to attract birds that like to collect insects from the surface of the water, the larvae of the long-legged mosquito turn their heads upside down and, catching their tails on the surface film of water, receive oxygen for breathing and light for growth. Sensing the danger or excitement of water, the larvae briskly dive to the very bottom of the reservoir, where they feed on plant debris.

Even under favorable conditions, the durationmosquito life is small. In summer, the female lives no more than two months, and the male is much less. Females born at the end of summer do not breed their offspring. Their task is the accumulation of nutrients for a successful wintering. At the onset of cold weather, the fertilized female is driven into the slit and falls asleep before the arrival of spring. When weather conditions become suitable for the life of a mosquito, it wakes up and immediately starts to reproduce the offspring, that is, it finds a reservoir and lays its eggs in it. Spring mating in mosquitoes does not happen.

Like other mosquito species, a large mosquito has its value in nature. Its development and reproduction is a very valuable link in the established food chain of our habitat.