How Small Can Mosquitoes Get?
WouterTypically, adult mosquitoes are about 0.15-0.4 inches long. These insects have feathery antennae, a long proboscis, and two wings. The wings have scales along their veins. Some species are small, while others are very large.
Several mosquito species are known to feed on human blood. They also feed on the blood of birds, fish, and other vertebrate animals. Some species will even feed on pets and livestock. Some species are considered invasive, and will affect human health. The Asian tiger mosquito, a member of the family Aedes, is known to transmit chikungunya and dengue viruses.
Female Culex tarsalis mosquitoes are dark and have faint white bands on their proboscis. They are known to feed on birds and mammals during the late summer months.
Mosquitoes are also known to enter buildings through unscreened windows. It is possible to reduce the adult mosquito population in a home by spraying with an insecticide. It is important to follow the instructions on the product label. Using continuous release systems is not recommended.
To find out how small mosquitoes can get, scientists tested whether they can walk through small holes. The researchers used a bed net as an attractant, and they placed two-foot segments of 6.5-inch-diameter acrylic tubing in each behavioural arena.
Itoh et al. found that female Culex pipiens pallens walked through 0.8 mm X 0.8 mm holes, and that mosquitoes flying through a 9 mm hole in flight had an in-flight profile that was more than four millimeters from the hole’s edge.
