Where does the mosquito come from? How long does an ordinary mosquito live?

Each of us is familiar with such bloodsuckinginsects like mosquitoes. However, very few people know what the life cycle of such creatures consists of. Let's figure out where the mosquito comes from. What danger does an insect bear to a person? How long does an ordinary mosquito live?

General information

Комар – миниатюрное насекомое, обладает парой transparent wings, six long paws and a proboscis with which it feeds. Taurus consists of the cephalothorax, where internal organs are concentrated. The elongated abdomen serves to concentrate the blood obtained by the insect from the victim's body.

Mosquitoes are truly uniquecreatures. They live around the globe. Exceptions are only Antarctic latitudes, where the life of a mosquito becomes impossible due to the too low temperatures of the surrounding space, the lack of conditions for food and reproduction of offspring. A total of about 3,000 separate species of mosquitoes were recorded by researchers.

Nutrition of mosquitoes

What makes these insects drink the blood of othersLiving creatures? Immediately it is worth noting that the bloodthirstiness in this vast family is distinguished solely by females. And this happens only with the onset of the period of active reproduction.

Males are not bloodsucking. The nectar serves them as food.

Females have to taste not only human blood. They do not disdain to stick to any mammal. It is proved that these insects often feed on the blood of birds and even reptiles.

As can be seen, male and female mosquitoes have differences inthe plan for choosing food. For individuals of female sex, blood acts not only as a source of precious vital energy. It is also a storehouse of protein, which is an indispensable material for the reproduction of offspring.

According to some people, having drunk blood andlaying the larvae in the water, the mosquito is sure to perish. In reality, this happens only with starving females. Not finding food, they spend the last energy to create a masonry, drain their own body, and then die. On the contrary, the well-fed female mosquito processes the blood of its victims into nutrients, which allows it to remain viable for a long time and every 200-300 eggs are stored every few days.

How do mosquitoes search for a victim?

Where does the mosquito come from, or rather, how does it manageto find potential victims, being away from them at considerable distances? This ability of the blood sucking insect is due to the presence of tendrils on the head, which play the role of a specific olfactory organ. More than 7 dozens of receptors are concentrated here, which makes it possible to recognize the smell of mammals at kilometer distances. If the female mosquito is from a suspected victim in a hundred meters, it can be guided by a plume of carbon dioxide, which occurs when breathing a mammal. In addition, these insects have learned to "see" objects in the infrared spectrum. It is for this reason that mosquitoes, without unnecessary problems, find a victim in pitch darkness.

Life cycle

Where does the mosquito come from?Before becoming a mature adult, an insect undergoes several successive stages of development. To begin with, the female mosquito lays eggs in wet conditions. Most often preference is given to standing water. Soon, larvae form here. At this time, a young specimen of a mosquito can not be distinguished from a miniature worm of a reddish hue. The latter feeds on microorganisms that are contained in water.

Over a week, the larva of the mosquito is transformed into a pupa,which grows special tubes for breathing atmospheric oxygen. In this state, the individual remains until it has wings. This takes several days. Having become a full-fledged dipterous mosquito, the insect goes to a free flight and immediately begins an active search for food.

How long does an ordinary mosquito live?

According to scientists, the life-span of such an insect is influenced primarily by temperature conditions.

The cooler in mosquito habitat, thethey last longer. For example, at an air temperature of +25 degrees the female can live just over 40 days. When the ambient temperature falls to -10 degrees, this period increases to 115 days.

At the same time, male and female mosquitoes havedifferent life expectancy. Men on average die twice as fast. Why this happens, the researchers have not yet been able to determine. However, if the mosquito is fully nutrient enough for existence, the lifespan of it significantly increases.

Interesting Facts

Learn about these tiny "vampires" will be interesting the following:

1. Mosquitoes are one of the oldest insects that ever inhabited the planet. Flying bloodsuckers existed in the era of dinosaurs.
2. Mosquitoes have six pairs of legs. Each of them contains a sucker, which provides an insect with the ability to hold on any planes.
3. The largest mosquito in the world is the long-legged one.The presented insect can grow up to 6 cm or more. Unlike well-known to us bloodsuckers, the long-legged progeny produce offspring in the wooded area, leaving the masonry in wet moss, from where the mosquito is taken.
4. There is a unique varietycalled "winter" mosquitoes. Representatives of the species are able to show activity only at low temperatures of the surrounding space - about -5 degrees. In case of warming, such mosquitoes perish.
5. Within a second these insects produce up to 500 wings movements. The result is the appearance of a characteristic squeak, according to which we are familiar with such bloodsuckers.
6. There is an opinion that the female mosquitoes are largerattract people who used alcohol. This is probably due to the fact that alcohol causes an increase in body temperature, provokes an active release of carbon dioxide from tissues.
7. Over time, a mosquito can drink about 5 mg of blood.

What is dangerous for mosquito bites for humans?

During the bite, the mosquito injects into the victim's tissuesAn anticoagulant that slows blood clotting. There are certain categories of people who experience allergic reactions when in contact with this substance. Multiple bites of bloodsucking insects for such persons are fatal. The result is often an intoxication of blood with an anticoagulant and anaphylactic shock.

Blood-sucking mosquitoes are known aspeddlers of causative agents of serious diseases. Such insects transport not only various infections on the proboscis, but also microscopic parasites. All this often leads to the development of people in tropical fever, encephalitis, malaria, hepatitis. For this reason, it is important to remain cautious, by repelling mosquitoes with special repellents or odorous means in the form of eucalyptus, peppermint or geranium.