Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes (pronunciation: /məˈskiːtoʊz/) are a group of about 3,500 species of small insects that are a type of fly (order Diptera). The word "mosquito" (formed by mosca and -ito ) is Spanish for "little fly".
Etymology
The word "mosquito" is derived from the Spanish word mosca, meaning "fly", and the diminutive suffix -ito, meaning "little". Thus, "mosquito" literally translates to "little fly".
Description
Mosquitoes have a slender segmented body, a pair of wings, three pairs of long hair-like legs, feathery antennae, and elongated mouthparts. The life cycle consists of the egg, larva, pupa, and adult stages. Eggs are laid on the water surface; they hatch into motile larvae that feed on aquatic algae and organic material.
Behavior
Adult females of most species have tube-like mouthparts (called a proboscis) that can pierce the skin of a host and feed on blood, which contains protein and iron needed to produce eggs. Thousands of mosquito species feed on the blood of various hosts — vertebrates, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and some fish; and some invertebrates, primarily other arthropods.
Diseases
Mosquitoes are known to transmit serious diseases, including malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, Zika virus, and others. The females of many species of mosquitoes are blood-eating pests. In feeding on blood, some of them transmit extremely harmful human and livestock diseases, such as malaria.
Prevention and Control
Prevention and control of mosquito-borne diseases involve methods to reduce the population of mosquitoes, such as the elimination of mosquito breeding sites and the use of insecticides, and methods to protect individuals, such as using insect repellent, wearing protective clothing, and sleeping under mosquito nets.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Mosquitoes
- Wikipedia's article - Mosquitoes
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