How Strong Are Mosquitoes?
WouterDespite global efforts to control the mosquito population, these small insects continue to bite and spread diseases. They can cause diseases such as dengue, encephalitis, malaria, and West Nile. In Africa, Asia, and South America, mosquitoes infect 700 million people each year.
They use their keen sense of smell to find their hosts. Female mosquitoes can detect the carbon dioxide in human breath. They also have a specialized abdominal system to digest food.
They have six mouth parts called stylets that pierce the skin. They can also take blood for protein and to produce eggs. These mouth parts include two mandibles, a labrum, and a hypopharynx.
The labrum is a flexible lip-like sheath that stays outside. It acts as a guide for the other mouthparts. The labrum folds back when the fascicle enters the flesh.
Mosquitoes have six stylets that pierce the skin. Each stylet has a tiny tooth. This makes it easy for the mosquito to find blood vessels and to suck blood.
Female mosquitoes carry West Nile virus and dengue virus. Their blood meal almost doubles their weight. They leave behind parasites, viruses, and other pathogens.
A female mosquito’s abdomen expands when she takes blood for protein and to produce eggs. She also injects an enzyme to slow down the clotting process of blood.
Mosquitoes can fly more than 20 miles from their water source. They can survive for up to two weeks, depending on the species. Usually, adult mosquitoes are about 0.15 to 0.4 inches long.
