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Mosquitoes, the Culicidae, are a family of small flies consisting of 3,600 species. The word mosquito (formed by mosca and diminutive-ito) [2] is Spanish and Portuguese for little fly. [3] Mosquitoes have a slender segmented body, one pair of wings, three pairs of long hair-like legs, and specialized, highly elongated, piercing-sucking mouthparts.
A mosquito's period of feeding is often undetected; the bite only becomes apparent because of the immune reaction it provokes. When a mosquito bites a human, it injects saliva and anti-coagulants. With the initial bite to an individual, there is no reaction, but with subsequent bites, the body's immune system develops antibodies. The bites ...
Culex or typical mosquitoes are a genus of mosquitoes, several species of which serve as vectors of one or more important diseases of birds, humans, and other animals. The diseases they vector include arbovirus infections such as West Nile virus , Japanese encephalitis , or St. Louis encephalitis , but also filariasis and avian malaria .
Culicinae mosquitoes are holometabolous, going through four distinct life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The duration of each stage is species-specific, but all Culicinae mosquitoes are multivoltine. The egg, larval, and pupal stages are aquatic. Adults leave the water by flight to find plants or vertebrates on which to feed.
Toxorhynchites, also called elephant mosquito or mosquito eater, is a genus of diurnal and often relatively colorful mosquitoes, found worldwide between about 35° north and 35° south. Most species occur in forests. It includes the largest known species of mosquito, at up to 18 mm (0.71 in) in length and 24 mm (0.94 in) in wingspan. [1]
Culex pipiens is a species of mosquito commonly referred to as the common house mosquito or northern house mosquito.Native to Africa, Asia and Europe, it is now widely distributed in temperate regions on every continent except Antarctica [1] and is one of the most common mosquitoes found in human habitats in temperate parts of the northern hemisphere. [2]
Culex quinquefasciatus (originally named Culex fatigans), commonly known as the southern house mosquito, is a medium-sized mosquito found in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. It is a vector of Wuchereria bancrofti , avian malaria , and arboviruses including St. Louis encephalitis virus , Western equine encephalitis virus , Zika ...
An individual mosquito can be heard across 2–5 cm in distance when sound level rises to 22-25 dB. [7] Male and female mosquitoes can also be distinguished by their wingbeat frequencies, which are 700–800 Hz for males and 400–500 Hz for females. [7] As a result, flight sounds are used to determine flight activity and distinguish sex of groups.