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Mosquitos are the members
of the family Culicidae; these insects have a pair of scaled wings,
a pair of halteres, a slender body, and long legs. The females
of most mosquito species suck blood from other animals. Size varies
but is rarely greater than 15 mm (0.6 inches). Mosquitoes weigh
only about 2 to 2.5 mg (0.03 to 0.04 grains). They can fly at
about 1.5 to 2.5 km/h (0.9 to 1.6 mph). Mosquitoes have been around
for 170 million years. The family Culicidae belongs to the order
Diptera and contains about 2700 species in about 35 genera including
Anopheles, Culex, Psorophora, Ochlerotatus, Aedes, Sabethes, Wyeomyia,
Culiseta, and Haemagoggus.
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"Mosquito"
is a Spanish or Portuguese word meaning little fly, and its use
dates back to about 1583.
In most female mosquitoes, the mouth parts form a long proboscis
for piercing the skin of mammals (or in some cases birds or even
reptiles and amphibians) to suck their blood. The females require
protein for egg development, and since the normal mosquito diet
consists of nectar and fruit juice, which has no protein, most
must drink blood to get the necessary protein. Males differ from
females, with mouth parts not suitable for blood sucking. There
is one genus of mosquitoes, Toxorhynchites, that never drinks
blood. The larvae of these large mosquitoes are predatory on other
mosquito larvae. In most female mosquitoes, the mouth parts form
a long proboscis for piercing the skin of mammals (or in some
cases birds or even reptiles and amphibians) to suck their blood.
The females require protein for egg development, and since the
normal mosquito diet consists of nectar and fruit juice, which
has no protein, most must drink blood to get the necessary protein.
Males differ from females, with mouth parts not suitable for blood
sucking.
Above Images
Are From The U.S.D.A.
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