Mosquito Facts
Q. What is the origin of the word “mosquito?”
A. It comes from the Spanish and Portuguese word for “little fly.”
Q. Mosquitoes are bugs, right?
A. No, not technically. Bugs are in the order Hemiptera. Mosquitoes, on the other hand, belong to the order Diptera, which also includes gnats, midges, and flies.
Q. How many species of mosquitoes are there?
A. There are about three thousand species of mosquito around the world, divided among thirty-five genera (the plural of genus). They live on every continent but Antarctica.
Q. How long have mosquitoes existed on Earth?
A. The earliest known mosquitoes date back a hundred million years to the late Jurassic or early Cretaceous period. In other words, they came along right about the time the largest dinosaurs were roaming the Earth.
Q. Is it true that dinosaurs could be cloned from mosquito fossils?
A. Well, yes and no—but more no than yes. It is true that a few mosquito fossils contain blood molecules in their guts, and some of that blood could be from extinct species. However, dinosaur hide was probably too tough for mosquito proboscises. Also, DNA tends to break down over time, so (as indicated in Jurassic Park) there are huge gaps in any fossilized genetic sequence. The best DNA fragments recovered from fossils so far are from a Cretaceous weevil, hardly an intimidating monster for a sci-fi horror movie.
Q. How long do mosquitoes live?
A. Not counting “overwintering” strategies, mosquitoes live anywhere from four days to a month. Along the way, they pass through four major stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult.
Q. How fast do mosquitoes fly?
A. They can fly about a mile to a mile and a half per hour.
Q. Do mosquitoes bite only people?
A. No, they also bite birds, horses, and some other mammals.
Q. Why do mosquitoes suck blood?
A. The females need the protein in bird or mammal blood to help make new eggs and reproduce.
Q. How much blood do mosquitoes suck?
A. The average blood meal is about five millionths of a liter.
Q. Do all mosquitoes suck blood?
A. No. Only female mosquitoes suck blood, and mosquitoes of the order Toxorhynchites drink only nectar.
Q. Why do mosquito bites itch?
A. They itch because the anticoagulants in mosquito saliva cause an allergic reaction just under the skin.
Q. What diseases can be carried by mosquito bite?
A. The list includes malaria, West Nile virus, encephalitis, and yellow fever, plus some obscure diseases we don’t need to worry about here in the United States.
Q. What about AIDS?
A. While transmission of AIDS by mosquito is just barely within the bounds of possibility, no cases of HIV have ever been proven to have occurred in this manner. The likelihood is extremely small that it ever will happen, because HIV hasn’t adapted to mosquito transmission. Rather, the mosquito would have to bite an infected person at just the right stage of infection, and the virus would somehow have to migrate into the mosquito’s saliva. HIV doesn’t live long in a mosquito, so the transmission would have to occur within minutes. Incidentally, the American Medical Association says, “You won’t get it from bedbugs, lice, flies, or other insects, either.”
Q. I get bit by mosquitoes more often than other people. Why?
A. Mosquitoes are attracted to things that remind them of flesh or nectar. Certain substances in your sweat, including amino acids and some sex hormones, can do just that. Also, the warmth absorbed by bright colors attracts mosquitoes, so try wearing lighter colors such as khaki or beige. Avoid floral fragrances or perfumes. Most of all, mosquitoes are drawn to overweight males with dark hair and type O blood.
Q. What’s the best way to ward off mosquitoes?
A. Keep air circulating through your environment. Eliminate any pools of standing water; mosquitoes need them to breed. Wear loose clothing that covers all parts of your body. Spray exposed areas with chemical repellent, especially solutions of DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide). Trim bushes or hedges near your home. Keep the grass mowed and the pool chemically treated.
Q. What’s the best treatment for a mosquito bite?
A. Wash the area with soap and warm water. Apply After Bite or calamine lotion. Avoid scratching. See a doctor if serious symptoms develop, especially flu-like symptoms. |