We explain everything about mosquitoes, the types that exist and what their diet is like. Also, what are its characteristics and where it lives.
The mosquitos
They are known as mosquitoes or mosquitoes. members of different families of dipteran insects (with a single pair of membranous wings), with a thin body and long legs. Their diet consists of sucking internal juices from animals (females) and plants (males). Therefore, they transmit many diseases of humans and other species.
Mosquitoes are known worldwide. Virtually every language has a term for them. Its presence can be seen in very old documents.As the Animal history of Aristotle, where he refers to them as “empis”. It accounts for their double life cycle, aquatic and terrestrial, although it states that they originate spontaneously from putrefied liquids.
Today they have been studied in depth and it has also been understood that they play an important role in the transmission of many diseases. Therefore, There are campaigns aimed at reducing their numbers or eradicate them from cities and human populations, in order to reduce the rate of transmission of these diseases.
See also: Myriapods
Anatomy of mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are small insects. His long, dark body measures about 15 mm.
Has three pairs of thin legs and a pair of wingswhich when flying usually emit a characteristic sound (and it is very annoying when one is going to sleep).
They have a mouthpart with a kind of proboscis which enters the body of mammals, birds and even reptiles, depending on the species. With it they can suck blood or other substances.
Types of mosquitoes
There are 39 genera and almost 3,500 species. known mosquitoes in the world. Of them only the family culicidae It is hematophagous (feeds on blood) and usually includes the genera:
- Anopheles. The most widely distributed of all mosquito genera, with 465 species recognized throughout the world, 50 of which are capable of transmitting 4 different parasites to humans.
- Culex. Another of the most diverse species in the world, of which 88 different species are known in Panama alone. They are capable of transmitting various serious diseases and usually bite at night.
- Aedes. Common throughout the world, but especially in tropical and subtropical areas, they are responsible for numerous viral diseases in humans and other animals. They are recognizable by the white bands on their legs and body, which gives them the nickname “white legs.”
- Sabethes. Mainly arboreal, these mosquitoes do not usually coexist with humans except in rural areas, and they proliferate in South and Central America. They have shiny silver scales on their bodies.
- Ochlerotatus. Also considered a subgenus of Aedes, they have the same white markings on their legs, and can be found even in high altitude locations, where mosquitoes are uncommon.
mosquito habitat
The mosquitos They are quite cosmopolitan insects: they are all over the world. In each place they have adapted more or less to their environment, but they clearly prefer humid (with the literal presence of water) and dark places.
They usually hibernate during periods when the temperature drops significantly.They are known to prefer dark colors and are attracted to heat sources.
Mosquito feeding
Mosquitoes are not all hematophagous. In fact, Only females of some species feed on blood. They generally feed on a single type of animal: birds, reptiles, mammals, etc. Males, on the other hand, usually feed on nectar or the vegetable juices of fruits and plants, using the same suction system.
There are, however, Many species of mosquitoes that eat vegetarian diets, and even some that prey on larvae of other species. Some of these species play a certain important role in the pollination of flowers, for example.
Reproduction of mosquitoes
The mosquitos They have a reproductive cycle with complete metamorphosis, that is, they must change shape drastically throughout their phases prior to adulthood. Its life cycle is usually around 15 days, depending directly on the ambient heat.
Their reproduction cycle begins with the fertilization of the female, who lays her eggs and begins the cycle. requires having ingested blood first. It requires certain blood proteins that are essential for laying eggs.
Eggs are laid in stagnant waters. (up to 1 cm of water is enough), in which the eggs hatch and the larvae emerge, which live in the water and feed on microorganisms. They resemble small worms that must come to the surface of the water from time to time to breathe.
The larvae grow to molt about four times, until they are ready for metamorphosis. So The larvae build a kind of cocoon called a pupa.during which they undergo the changes that will lead to the adult ready to fly towards its adult life. During the pupal stage, mosquitoes do not feed and lead a still life.
Life span of mosquitoes
The mosquitos they live about 15 daysexcept for males, which have a significantly shorter life span (one week). It is common for females to mate once in their lifetime, and for a different number of larvae to emerge from each clutch.
Many of the larvae They are preyed upon by fish, tadpoles and other insect larvae. However, if they survive, a new adult will emerge from each one, ready to repeat the cycle.
Mosquito repellents
The mosquitos They choose their “prey” by the smell of their skin and the heat they give off. Sweaty and hot skin is especially attractive to them, since it contains more lactic acid.
They also use the heat and carbon dioxide of our breath as a guide to find each other even in the dark. This means that perfumes, light colors (less hot) and clean skin reduce the risk of bites.
Besides There are substances specially designed to repel themLike the sprays of metofluthrin or ointments rich in vitamin B1, a water-soluble amino acid that modifies the properties of sweating, making the skin less attractive to mosquitoes.
There are also sound and platelet repellents that act on a specific arearather than on the body, but its effectiveness varies depending on the product and the conditions in which it is used. Generally, closed environments yield better results.
Diseases that transmit
Mosquitoes are important transmitters of diseases, including:
- Yellow fever. The vector of this viral disease is Aedes aegyptiIt is known as black vomit, because in its most severe cases it can cause severe hemorrhagic and hepatic conditions, which manifest in bloody vomit. There is an effective vaccine against this disease, but not a cure, only a symptomatic treatment.
- Dengue. The well-known “breakbone fever”, due to the chills and high fevers it causes, as well as headaches and joint pain, is transmitted by the Aedes aegyptiIn its hemorrhagic version, it covers the skin with small red spots and can be fatal if not treated.
- Zika fever. Caused by a virus transmitted by mosquitoes of the Aedes genus, it has symptoms similar to dengue fever, in addition to conjunctivitis, arthritis or temporary arthralgia, lasting about a week. However, its greatest risk is its link to microcephaly in fetuses, so pregnant women should avoid it at all costs.
- Malaria. Also known as malaria, it is caused by parasites of the genus plasmodiumwhich enter the body through the bite of mosquitoes of the genus AnophelesIt causes high fevers, headaches, chills, sweating, nausea, coughing and can also cause bloody stools, muscle aches, jaundice and, without treatment, coagulation defects, kidney and liver failure, and death.
Disease prevention
The fight against mosquito-borne diseases involves reducing exposure to mosquitoes through simple but effective actions, such as:
- Fumigation campaigns. Especially in rainy seasons and in swampy or humid areas.
- Application of repellents. In homes and on the bodies of the weakest, especially (children, the elderly, pregnant women).
- Elimination of stagnant water. Whether in containers with plants, old tires, etc. to reduce the mosquito reproduction rate.
- Vaccination days. To the population and visitors, when possible.
Differences between mosquito and mosquito
There is no difference between these two terms, which They are exactly synonymsThe universal preference is for mosquito, perhaps the more generic of the two terms.
However, in certain countries in Hispanic America such as Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Honduras and Chile, the use of “zancudo” is preferred. Its etymology It comes from the Latin zanga“leg”with an origin similar to that of the word strides.