Do Mosquitoes Need Oxygen?
WouterWhether mosquitoes need oxygen or not depends on the species of insect. Some species breathe through plants and aquatic animals. Others rely on external heat sources to warm their bodies. Some, like ants, can drown in water.
Adult mosquitoes are mainly fed sugar from plant sap and nectar. Larvae are aquatic creatures that feed on algae, bacteria and other organic matter in water. They molt four times during the larval stage.
Mosquitoes have an internal respiratory system based on simple gas exchange. Their bodies contain spiracles, which act as muscular valves. These tubes lead to the tracheal system and internal respiration. They also have olfactory receptors on their tongues and feet. These olfactory receptors activate different combinations of glomeruli in the brains of insects. They respond to different types of smells, including those of humans and animals.
In recent studies, scientists have discovered that mosquitoes use both physical and chemical cues to attract their hosts. For example, they can detect the odor of carbon dioxide exhaled from human skin. They can also detect body heat from the host.
The NIH-funded researchers found that female mosquitoes have a receptor for carbon dioxide. They were also able to detect the odor of exhaled carbon dioxide from 30 feet away. They were led by Anandasankar Ray at the University of California, Riverside.
They studied three mosquito species. They found that Anopheles arabiensis depleted oxygen faster than other species. However, other species took longer to reach the 0.3% DO threshold.
