"
Mosquito" is a
Spanish word roughly meaning "little fly."
The number of mosquito species can be safely estimated at about 2500. They are of the Order
diptera, or
True Flies. As with other True Flies, they have a pair of wings (as opposing to two pairs), and the females of the various mosquito species have a group of long, needle-like piercing-sucking
proboscis. Some species of mosquitoes can cause
malaria,
yellow fever,
encephalitis, and the
West Nile Virus. They are not typically dangerous contrary to this information, and are more or less an
annoyance. In some animals, they can be such a nuisance that the cause
dehydration.
Mosquito eggs float on water, and this is usually their mode of transportation. Water is necessary in their habitat, and some species which do not lay their eggs in water, lay them in damp soil, near water.
Their larvae live in the water; they come to the surface to breathe. They almost continuously shed their skin, growing as each layer is shed. These larvae feed on whatever they can in the water - usually micro-organisms and any organic matter they can ingest.
The pupal stage is a two-day period of rest in which the mosquito matures, growing to its full size.
The mosquito first rests in the beginning of its adult stage of life. It has to allow its wings to dry - mosquito's wings cannot function while wet - and it has to allow its body to harden. The entirety of their life cycle ranges from ten to twenty days.
Only the female mosquitoes require blood as a food source. The males feed on the nectar of flowers as their primary food source. As a general rule, most mosquitoes are persistent biters, and attack in the morning, and evening, which is referred to as crepusular feeding.