Do Mosquitoes Have Eyes?

Compared to human eyes, mosquitoes have fewer lenses, more sensitive vision, and more varied senses. Although the simple eyes on the insect head are tiny, they are able to pick up motion and movement, detect light, and detect prey.

There are two types of eyes on the mosquito. One type is the dioptric apparatus, which consists of four cone cells and a biconvex lens. The other is the ommatidium, which is the sensory organ that sends a partial image to the brain.

In addition to the two types of eyes, the mosquito has specialized antennae to locate food sources. This helps the insect navigate and avoid predators.

The ommatidium has a number of small lenses that help it see in several directions at the same time. Those same tiny lenses also repel water droplets. Each ommatidium has eight retinula cells that surround it. These retinula cells are sandwiched between two peripheral retinula cells.

In addition to the ommatidium, the female mosquito has a special brain that helps her locate potential hosts and detect scents. The brain also helps the mosquito detect heat and movement.

As the ommatidium moves around, it projects a partial image to the brain. This helps the mosquito track the movement of its blood meal. The brain is not very complex, compared to the human brain, and is important in helping the mosquito move.

Other than the ommatidium, the female has a palp, which detects odors, such as carbon dioxide. When the mosquito smells CO2 it enhances its activity.

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