Mosquitoes - interesting facts. Interesting facts about mosquitoes, or why you should respect the bloodsucker How long does a mosquito live?

Mosquitoes are nasty insects that annoy and disturb us all summer. But do we know everything about mosquitoes? There are facts about mosquitoes that are useful and interesting to know.

An insect similar to a modern mosquito was found in a piece of amber in Canada that dates back 79 million years.

Mosquitoes accompany humanity and drive people crazy, encroaching on our health. Mosquitoes have their own preferences based on the smell of sweat, exhaled carbon dioxide, blood type, thermal radiation and light. Read the article: . We should get to know them better.

Mosquito Facts - Mosquitoes don't like chocolate

Mosquitoes are known to be attracted to carbon dioxide, the gas we exhale. In any case, we, by our existence, attract mosquitoes. There are smells that mosquitoes don't like. Some aromas: mint, some fruity smells and the smell of chocolate caramel “drown out” the carbon dioxide sensors.

The mosquito loses its orientation, letting its potential “victim” pass by. Some essential oils repel mosquitoes. These oils include lavender and tea tree essential oils.

Why do mosquitoes fly right into your face?

Mosquitoes can smell their “prey” from about 500 meters away. This is exactly the distance at which a mosquito can sense exhaled carbon dioxide. Since people exhale carbon dioxide through the nose and mouth, our head, cheeks, and nose are the most “appetizing” zones. That's why we so often slap ourselves during a mosquito attack.

Male mosquitoes are cute vegetarians

If you are surrounded by a swarm of mosquitoes, then you should know that these are exclusively pregnant females that feed on blood, biting animals and people. Females, in order to bear eggs, need protein nutrition, which is blood. Male mosquitoes flutter in flowers and feed exclusively on pollen and nectar.

Infected mosquitoes are dangerous hunters

Mosquito flight speed

A mosquito weighs approximately 2-2.5 milligrams. It seemed that they should fly very fast, but this is not so. The approximate flight speed of a mosquito is 1.5 km per hour, making them one of the slowest flying insects in the world.

Malaria mosquitoes are among the deadliest animals in the world

Mosquitoes are one of the deadliest creatures on the planet, especially in areas where malaria, yellow fever and some other infections are common. One malaria mosquito can infect up to 100 people. The statistics are especially sad in African countries, where every 45 seconds a malaria mosquito bites a child.

1. Mosquitoes appeared in the Jurassic era, more than 175 million years ago, so even dinosaurs inherited them.

2. There are more than 3,000 species of mosquitoes, found in both the Arctic tundra and tropical rainforests. At the same time, all types of mosquitoes become active at a temperature of 12.7 degrees Celsius, so their highest concentration is, of course, in warm and humid forests, swamps, and dry deserts.

3. Peak activity of mosquitoes occurs at dusk and night; during the day they rest, hiding in houses and plants. During the day, mosquitoes are food for other species of animals.

4. Mosquitoes come in different sizes, up to 12.5 mm. Fossil mosquitoes reached 5 centimeters in length!

5. Mosquitoes do not bite, but suck. 1,200,000 mosquitoes are enough to drain all the blood from a person. These are, of course, theoretical calculations, because before that a person will die from irritation and painful shock.

6. An experiment in the Canadian tundra showed that people with bare arms, legs and torso received 9,000 bites from young mosquitoes per minute. At this rate, a person can lose half their blood in two hours.

7. Only female mosquitoes bite. They bite both humans and other vertebrates, from elephants to mice and turtles, sucking their blood. Such food is necessary for females to bear offspring. Some species of mosquitoes can give birth without previously sucking blood, but at the first opportunity they do not refuse it (Culex species). One drop of blood gives life to thousands of mosquito eggs. The most “tasty” blood for mosquitoes is found in people with the first and second blood groups, as well as children.

8. Male mosquitoes do not suck blood - they feed on plant foods and nectar.

9. A mosquito sting looks simple, but under high magnification it turns into a complex structure. It consists of six parts - two tubes, salivary and nutritious, surrounded by two sharp lower jaws and two “scalpels” with sawtooth teeth. All 6 parts are enclosed in a protective shell along the entire length. When bitten, the sting plunges several millimeters into the skin until it reaches a small blood vessel.

10. Mosquitoes have olfactory and heat-sensitive organs located on a pair of antennae, and three pairs of legs that guide them towards prey, which reveals itself through increased concentrations of carbon dioxide, heat and sweat.

11. The eyes occupy most of the mosquito's head. They see in infrared light, which makes it possible to freely find warm-blooded prey in complete darkness.

12. Male mosquitoes have developed hearing organs, which contain the same number of sensitive cells as in the human ear. This helps them find and pursue females. When a mosquito “hears” a member of the opposite sex, it adjusts its squeak to match its frequency. Males “synchronize” with females within a second or two. Females require several times more time for this.

13. Mosquitoes can smell their food from up to 50 meters away. They can travel up to 64 kilometers at a time in search of food.

14. In order to find you, mosquitoes use the carbon dioxide that you exhale. People with high concentrations of steroids or cholesterol on the surface of their skin are more likely to attract mosquitoes, and nothing can be done about it. Mosquitoes are also attracted to uric acid in sweat and movement. Exercising in an area where mosquitoes are located is a bad idea because the increased production of carbon dioxide and sweat will turn you into a treat for the surrounding mosquitoes. Mosquito Facts

15. Blood clots quickly, so the mosquito delivers an anticoagulant through the salivary tube, which prevents blood clotting. Mosquito saliva also has analgesic properties. After the mosquito flies away (or you swat it), the saliva remains under the skin, causing severe irritation and itching.

16. Do not scratch the bitten area, it is better to moisten it with alcohol - this will quickly relieve the pain.

18. Mosquitoes can fly between raindrops at speeds of up to 2.5 km/h for 5 minutes, flapping their wings at a frequency of 250 beats per second! This frequency determines the sound we hear, which helps us detect the insect before it bites. Mosquitoes can perform various aerobatics, such as flips, dives, emergency landings and others. Unlike other insects, mosquitoes have only one pair of wings (not two), the second has evolved into organs that determine acceleration and altitude.

19. On the surface, mosquitoes move almost imperceptibly - the victim does not feel anything. A mosquito can even walk across a web without disturbing the spider!

20. Mosquitoes can walk on water. Apart from them, only some aquatic beetles can do this.

21. Mosquito eggs are resistant to cold and drought. They can lie on dry, cold soil for several years, and after one warm rain within a week the larvae will hatch.

22. In the family Nematocera, in addition to mosquitoes, there are other insects similar to mosquitoes. They live near water and are absolutely harmless, as they feed on plant sap. These are, for example, insects of the species Chironomidae, Tipulidae (long-legged). At the same time, there are insects that are not like mosquitoes, such as Simuliidae (black fly), Ceratopogonidae (tsetse fly) that bite and drink human blood, carrying dangerous types of infections such as sleeping sickness and others.

23. The largest mosquito monument is located in the town of Komarno, Canada. The steel statue was made in 1984 and has a wingspan of 5 meters.

24. In 1998, scientists discovered a new species of mosquitoes in the London Underground, which got there during its construction 100 years ago. These mosquitoes are a nuisance to rats, mice and humans and do not interbreed with their land-based relatives. The DNA of these mosquitoes changes depending on the subway line where they are found.

25. In Central America there is the so-called Mosquito Coast (a thin strip of land along the Caribbean in Honduras and Nicaragua). This coast is named so not because of mosquitoes, as you might think, but in honor of the native Miskito population.

26. The world's largest mosquito net was woven in Abuja, Nigeria, as part of a campaign against malaria. 200 children fit under it.

27. The best mosquito repellent is DEET (N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide), which is included in most modern mosquito repellent chemicals (“OFF” and others). In addition, you can use eucalyptus oil, soybean oil, cedarwood, peppermint, lemongrass and geranium. There are also mosquito traps. They emit carbon dioxide, heat and moist air, attracting insects and holding them with sticky substances. By placing such a trap in a place where mosquitoes accumulate, you can significantly reduce their number.

28. One Polish radio station reported that listening to its broadcasts repels mosquitoes. Radio Zet continuously transmits a high-frequency signal that simulates a bat locator, which repels these insects. I just doubt that this helps, because if the signal is audible to a person, then it interferes, and if it is ultrasonic, then most likely the radio speaker cannot reproduce it. This is more of a gimmick than a real effect.

29. Some plants with a pungent odor repel mosquitoes, for example, garlic.

The distant ancestors of modern mosquitoes appeared in the Jurassic period, approximately 170 million years ago. So they managed to drink blood from the dinosaurs. But let’s return from the past to the present and present some interesting facts about mosquitoes.

The most interesting facts about mosquitoes:

Name

Mosquitoes are relatives of flies and belong to the order Diptera, which means dipterous in Latin. The word “Mosquito” is translated from Spanish as “little fly.”

In Rus', the word mosquito most likely came from the behavior of mosquitoes, that is, a derivative of “a swarming, buzzing insect huddled in a circle.”

There are approximately 3,000 species of mosquitoes on the planet, and they are found from the Arctic tundra to tropical rainforests. They enter the active phase at temperatures above 12.7°C, which is why they prefer to live in warmer latitudes.

Nutrition

The male mosquito feeds on nectar and drinks water, just like butterflies. But females bite to suck blood. They need plasma to bear offspring. And now we know which mosquitoes drink blood and why it is necessary.

Mating games

During the mating season, males form a swarm and circle in front of the females. This happens after sunset. Females, when approaching a swarm, choose medium-sized males, since large ones are less able to stay in the air.

During this period, a whole invasion of mosquitoes is observed in forests, swamps, and even in cities. But males prefer young, more mature females.

Mosquito squeak

This dipteran has a stinger called a mosquito proboscis. But the insect makes an annoying squeak with its wings.

In addition, when meeting a representative of the opposite sex, mosquitoes synchronize the flapping of their wings and squeak, as they say, in unison.

Man fights mosquitoes as best he can, inventing new ways. But mosquitoes also have natural problems. Among birds there are many species that happily eat this small creature.

But during the wind, mosquitoes do not bite, because due to their low weight they are simply blown away and cannot land on the body.

Life cycle

Like most dipteran insects, the mosquito's life cycle consists of 4 stages: egg-larva-pupa-imago. It is noteworthy that mosquitoes grow from egg to adult in 4 days.

Mosquitoes, so to speak, are patriots of their historical homeland. Having hatched from an egg, during their entire life they do not move more than 1 km from their place of birth.

But at the same time. If they are hungry, they can travel up to 65 km in search of food, and can smell food from a distance of 50 m.

These annoying but amazing insects have infrared vision, so they are excellent at navigating in the dark.

And another remarkable fact is that at midnight, as experts have noted, the activity of “little vampires” increases 500 times.

By the way, there is an interesting article on our website about the most poisonous insects on the planet.

They are so small that when it starts to rain, they can fly freely between the drops for five minutes.

In addition, the low weight allows you to walk freely on the web without attracting the spider’s attention. Due to their low weight, they can still walk on water.

Drink all the blood

We already know that only females bite, and they live much longer than males. So how long does a mosquito live?

The average lifespan of a mosquito is 14 days, but females, under proper conditions and nutrition, live up to 45 days. As you can see, the lifespan of a mosquito is short, but when it is in a house or apartment, it causes enough trouble.

There are many reasons for the death of mosquitoes, but the main ones are cold, hunger, oversaturation, as well as death from the insectivorous inhabitants of our planet.

Taste preferences

Zoologists put forward many hypotheses and theories as to why mosquitoes bite some people and not others.

The chemistry of our body is, of course, unique, but for mosquitoes the main thing is the smell and the amount of carbon dioxide and sweat released by the human body.

Blood type also plays an important role. So what blood type do mosquitoes like? Scientists have noticed that a person with group I is attacked by mosquitoes twice as often as those with group II.

Here's another interesting thing about mosquitoes. Females more often bite representatives of the fair sex. And among women they prefer to drink blood from blondes. So brunettes, brown-haired women and redheads can feel relatively safe.

Killer mosquitoes

Mosquito bites, even if they do not carry dangerous viruses, cause severe itching and allergies. In Russia, the number of people who go to hospitals after mosquito bites increases every year.

But allergies and itching are not the worst thing, and in tropical latitudes mosquitoes kill people by infecting them with fatal diseases through their bites.

It is difficult to imagine who agreed to such an experiment, but Canadian scientists have found that about 9 thousand individuals bite a naked person in the tundra in one hour.

I wonder what painkillers were offered for itching to the person who agreed to such an experiment.

The story about the mosquito bike

Recently, gentlemen, I accidentally crushed a mosquito.
While waiting for the train, I sat down on a bench to rest... And right there, he flew in from the forest and sat on my neck without permission, and dug into my skin.
I reacted instantly and decisively and dramatically. I slapped my palm and slightly injured the mosquito...

Don't know. He probably was
very painful. He immediately fell unconscious on the damp ground. And lies motionless. I started counting to ten. He apparently heard this countdown, and at exactly the ninth second he woke up, stirred, and then hobbled somewhere according to his needs.. He probably went to the clinic to get his wing treated..

After all, he probably lost his flying skills from my powerful blow... Mosquitoes have their own clinic in the forest. There they receive first aid. Well, they will put on a plaster cast, make a bandage, or apply a compress. Either they will give it to the doctor or they will put him in intensive care. But, it depends on the circumstances, and as necessary..

In general, I realize that I acted cruelly with the mosquito.
Caused him bodily injury. But let him know that it is impossible to vampirize human blood for free.
You have to pay mani-mani for everything now..
Sometimes it is necessary to draw up an agreement, or a contract, or enter into a commercial transaction.

(And I’ll add in a whisper in your ear: This tragic incident cannot be reported to Theresa May by the Prime Minister from Great Britain.
What if he raises the question at a UN meeting that I have caused great damage to nature.
And that’s why I’m writing to you about this case in great confidence..)

It was my self-defense. The mosquito hurt me, and I responded decisively...
When he came to life and began to hobble, I began to watch him... It’s interesting. After all, God's miniature living creature... He also wants to live... He wants to have children, a wife, or a husband, depending on gender predisposition..

I sit and watch him...
I looked, a small ant, 2 mm long, approached him from behind and grabbed his leg, or leg... And apparently this act hurt the mosquito. He twitched and dragged the ant... I looked, then another ant ran up to them and grabbed the other leg.

In short, about 6 small ants overcame the mosquito, and together, at a high professional level, like experienced movers, they quickly dragged it into the anthill. So to speak, they dragged him to their base..

You could say that a whole group, or a herd of ants attacked the mosquito. They didn’t ask him for his documents, they didn’t greet him, they didn’t greet him, and they immediately grabbed him and arrested him...

I watched this simple process...
Before my eyes, living objects were being disposed of.. A herd of ants committed aggression and attacked a lonely, crippled, unfortunate mosquito..

I felt sincerely sorry for him.. And I felt deep down in my soul remorse for the grave crime I had committed against him..

And I even thought that it would be necessary to save him from inevitable death. And he started to jerk, to free him from the gang of ants. But then my train arrived. And, I hastily left the battlefield.

He climbed into the carriage and drove away, home, dozing off in the seat...

That's the whole little tragic story of everyday life called "Once upon a time there was a mosquito and one day they ate it..".

Although many people you know may not even know what it's like to be bitten by a mosquito, you are not alone if you suffer from frequent mosquito bites. Experts estimate that about 20 percent of people are especially attracted to mosquitoes, which bite them constantly.

Despite the fact that scientists have not yet come up with any effective protection against these insects, other than the use of special sprays (to which, by the way, mosquitoes are gradually beginning to acquire immunity), they say that there are some reasons that explain the tendency of some of us to mosquito bites.

Here are the main ones:

@media screen and (min-width: 1201px) ( .ypnub5e53019e04c65 ( display: block; ) ) @media screen and (min-width: 993px) and (max-width: 1200px) ( .ypnub5e53019e04c65 ( display: block; ) ) @media screen and (min-width: 769px) and (max-width: 992px) ( .ypnub5e53019e04c65 ( display: block; ) ) @media screen and (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 768px) ( . ypnub5e53019e04c65 ( display: block; ) ) @media screen and (max-width: 767px) ( .ypnub5e53019e04c65 ( display: block; ) )

Why don't mosquitoes bite everyone?

Blood type

Since mosquitoes bite us to obtain protein from our blood, it is not surprising that they find some blood types more appetizing than others.

One study demonstrated that under controlled conditions mosquitoes are twice as likely to “land” on people with the first blood group, than on speakers of the second group. People with the third blood group are the second favorites of sucking insects.

In addition, based on the work of certain genes, about 85 percent of people send a signal to mosquitoes through their skin that tells them about their blood type, the remaining 15 percent do not. Therefore, mosquitoes are more attracted to those who give them such signals.

Carbon dioxide

One of the key points on which a mosquito finds its victim is the smell of carbon dioxide produced by people when breathing. During this, they use an organ called the maxillary palp (a special structure of the oral apparatus), which helps mosquitoes detect carbon dioxide even at a distance of 50 meters.

As a result, people who exhale more carbon dioxide, which tend to be larger people, attract more mosquitoes. This is one of the reasons why children are less likely to be bitten than adults.

Exercise and metabolism

In addition to carbon dioxide, mosquitoes can smell prey from closer ranges by smelling lactic acid, uric acid, ammonia and other substances released in sweat.

They are also attracted to people with higher body temperatures.

Therefore, those who regularly pay attention to physical activity increase the accumulation of lactic acid in their body and raise their body temperature, which attracts insects to them.

Meanwhile, genetic factors also influence the amount of uric acid and other substances each person naturally excretes. This is why some people are very easy for mosquitoes to detect.

Why do mosquitoes bite?

Skin bacteria

Other research suggests that specific types of bacteria that live on our skin influence our attractiveness to mosquitoes. In a 2011 study, experts found that The presence of large numbers of several types of bacteria on the skin fascinates mosquitoes.

Surprisingly, places where there is less accumulation of bacteria practically do not attract mosquitoes. This helps explain why these insects are so fond of biting our ankles and feet, since this is where the largest amount of bacteria tends to accumulate.

Beer

Just one half-liter bottle of beer and you have already become a potential victim of mosquitoes. However, even though the researchers suspected that this was due to increased ethanol excretion through sweat or an increase in body temperature, none of these factors correlate directly with alcohol use.

Thus, to this day it is a mystery to scientists why people who have consumed alcohol are more attractive to mosquitoes than non-drinkers.

Pregnancy

Numerous studies have shown that pregnant women are twice as likely to be attacked by mosquitoes, and all due to the confluence of two factors: they exhale 21 percent more carbon dioxide and their overall body temperature is slightly higher.

Clothes color

It may seem absurd, but mosquitoes use sight (along with smell) to locate their prey, so if you wear colors like black, navy blue or red, the insect will find you faster.

This conclusion was reached by James Day, a medical entomologist at Florida State University.

Genetics

In general, genetic factors are responsible 85 percent of the time for our attractiveness to mosquitoes, regardless of whether we are talking about blood type, metabolism, or some other factor. Unfortunately, today scientists do not have the opportunity to fully analyze these factors.

Natural repellents

Many experts are currently busy studying the reasons why some people repel mosquitoes completely in the hope of creating the next generation of insect repellents.

By using chromatography to detect the corresponding substances released by these people, scientists from UK's Rothamsted Research lab in the UK found that such people are carriers of natural repellers, which tend to secrete several substances that mosquitoes do not like at all. .

As a result, if these substances are added to advanced mosquito sprays, even people with blood type O, sports enthusiasts, pregnant women, as well as supporters of dark colors in clothing will be able to get rid of these annoying insects forever.

Folk remedies for mosquito bites

— mosquitoes find the smell of basil, eucalyptus, cloves and anise extremely unpleasant. Lubricate bare areas of the body with any oil from these plants and you can forget about mosquitoes. You can also apply a drop of oil to the fire source. This will provide protection from sucking insects;

- in a room with mosquitoes, you can chop a handful of fresh basil or bird cherry leaves;

— mosquitoes really don’t like the smell of tobacco smoke and valerian;

— at the dacha, to protect yourself from mosquitoes, plant tomatoes or elderberries under the windows. The leaves of these plants in the room will allow you to forget about annoying insects;

- tea tree oil and a decoction of one of the most common weeds - wheatgrass - are also very effective.