The most curious types of mosquitoes are dangerous babies and harmless giants. common mosquito

The unique creations of nature hide many secrets. Animal with six limbs - the peeping mosquito - which will be discussed in this article, has an amazing multi-phase life cycle and the ability to feed on more than just blood. Let us consider in more detail the habitat, the structure of the body of the insect and the stages of its development.

mosquito diet

This mechanism allows you to capture the presence of the female during mating season, because the male does not need to search for a victim at all. Her main diet is natural sugars. Mosquitoes find them in the nectar of burdock, tansy, and other field herbs. The diet of the female includes two components - in the period before mating, she eats like the male.

After mating dances, the insect becomes a real scourge of warm-blooded ones, looking for them to feed on blood. The squeaker mosquito, whose limbs in the amount of six pieces allow a sexually mature individual to sneak up on the victim unnoticed, can have a different color of the body, which contributes to its good disguise. Representatives of the species, which have a brown tint, are barely distinguishable on the bark of trees, and striped individuals are perfectly hidden among the grasses, in the undergrowth.

Habitat and lifestyle

Every person had to wake up from a bite or an annoying squeak of mosquitoes. This suggests a conclusion about their preferential way of life. Insects prefer to get food at night, and during the day sit out in dark shelters - among the grass, in cracks in the bark of trees.

body structure

The body of a mosquito is divided into several parts. The head is attached to the thoracic region with three shield plates. It has sensitive antennae, huge and oral apparatus. In the middle part of the body is the chest, divided into three segments. The legs, abdomen and wings of an insect are attached to it. There is also a spiracle connected to the trachea.

How many limbs does a squeaker mosquito have? To answer this question, you need to carefully examine the adult. Six thin legs are attached to its thoracic region. They have a rather complex structure, which allows the insect not only to stay on the skin of the victim, but also to crawl in a plastun way. Each foot has five segments with suction cups at the end, the last of which is equipped with two claws.

How much blood can a female drink?

A sexually mature female peeper mosquito feeds on blood. This liquid is rich in proteins necessary for the formation of eggs and their proper development. How much food can a bloodthirsty lady eat? A hungry mosquito weighs about 1-2 mg, and a dined individual about 3-5 mg. The special structure of the abdomen helps to accommodate such an amount of blood. It is divided into 10 segments, interconnected by elastic membranes. When eating food and bearing future offspring, the pleura is greatly stretched.

Do mosquitoes have teeth?

At detailed study oral apparatus mosquito-peeper, its unique structure was revealed. The food organs consist of two pairs of jaws equipped with teeth. They are located in the "case" formed by elongated lips. The proboscis that pierces the skin is equipped with stylets. The male does not have them. In the process of feeding, the lower jaws cling to the tissues with their teeth and drag the sucking apparatus deep into.

To prevent the victim from feeling threatened, the mosquito injects an anesthetic. And the bite site itches from the anticoagulant secreted by the insect, which prevents blood clotting.

Interestingly, the squeaker's antennae allow you to smell the future "donor" in several ways. The female distinguishes both body temperature and the release of CO 2 and lactic acid. The latter is synthesized by human glands during sweating and is captured by a blood-sucking individual at a distance of up to 50 meters. You can see the detailed structure of the head of such an insect as a pisk mosquito (photo is presented) under a multiple magnification of an electron microscope.

reproduction

Walking near the pond warm time years, you can see mating dances mosquitoes. They huddle in big flocks. At the same time, the female emits a characteristic squeak to attract the opposite sex. The male picks up the sound and finds its mate.

At the end of the mating season, female peeps try to get enough fresh blood as soon as possible. They seek out prey and consume the protein source for the development of offspring. After some time, the individual lays eggs in the form of tiny boats. They are tightly glued together in the amount of 20-30 pieces. The mother looks for a source of stagnant water for future larvae, saturated with organic matter and the simplest creatures. Mosquitoes are completely undemanding to growth conditions and can develop even in a polluted environment. They are suitable for shallow reservoirs, excluding the presence of waves - puddles, ditches, barrels.

Life cycle

The lower part of the eggs is equipped with a special "hatch". After 2-8 days, larvae appear from the masonry. They need to gain strength and grow up. To do this, a newborn bloodworm feeds on protozoa, unicellular algae and bacteria. The body length of the larvae is only 1 mm. In the tail part there is a breathing tube, with which they pierce the surface of the water and absorb atmospheric air. How many legs does a peeping mosquito have in its larval stage? They just don't exist! The slightest threat - and, wriggling with his whole body, the bloodworm will hide in the water column.

In three weeks, the larvae go through 4 stages of molting. Their body increases in size up to 8-10 mm, lengthening 8 times. After such metamorphoses, which are also accompanied by internal changes, pupae appear. They are sometimes called "devils" due to the presence of two respiratory processes in the head. Outwardly, the bloodworm looks like a tightly coiled worm, resembling a comma.

The next stage of development ends in a week. Having thrown off the skin of the chrysalis, the mosquito spreads its wings and takes off.

The benefits and harms of mosquitoes

At the same time, mosquitoes allow you to maintain a natural natural balance. Birds feed on adult insects, and larvae are valuable food for aquarium fish. Such a menu is especially useful for juveniles, which quickly grow up on an environmentally friendly black bloodworm.

Mosquitoes belong to the Diptera order. Representatives of this order differ from other winged insects in that they have only one pair of wings. For flight, only the front two wings are used. The rear turned into the so-called halteres, helping to maintain balance during the flight. The antennae of mosquitoes are long, multi-segmented, with a long proboscis. There are many species that live in different environment. Larvae most often develop in stagnant waters, usually puddles and ponds. Peeping mosquitoes (Culex pipiens) are rather annoying insects, but harmless bloodsuckers. Only females drink blood, because without it eggs will not develop in them.

Mosquito larvae live in water. To fight mosquitoes, the larvae poison chemicals, after which the larvae and pupae die, and all kinds of aquatic animals, and especially fish, are deprived of food.

Close relatives of squeaker mosquitoes are malarial mosquitoes (Anopheles maculipennis). They carry diseases such as the ominous malaria. In places where there is a danger of getting malaria, people sleep under a thin mesh canopy, fleeing from their bites. Midges and midges are also unpleasant bloodsuckers, they can be carriers of serious diseases.

Long-legged - these are those large mosquitoes that fly out from under the feet in a wet meadow or forest glades and, lazily flying a few tens of meters, again hide in the grass. Despite their size, centipede mosquitoes are completely harmless.

The largest species in Central Europe, the large weevil reaches a length of 4 cm. Adults drink nectar and live only a few days. Long-legged larvae can be recognized by their elongated body and star-shaped end of the abdomen. They live in soft ground or in the water. Twitch mosquitoes are also harmless (family Chironomidae, numbering over 3000 species). They are also called bells: on quiet warm evenings, over the banks of ponds and small rivers overgrown with reeds, you can hear a thin melodic ringing that swarming mosquitoes make, sharply soaring up and passively falling down. Adults are usually pale yellow or light green, less often dark in color, their forelimbs are greatly elongated. These insects, living only a few days, often gather in huge clouds. Worm-like larvae reach a length of 2 cm, they can be found at the bottom of any reservoir. They are playing important role in the life of its inhabitants, being food for them, from fish to dragonfly and beetle larvae.

Pisk Mosquito

Among dipteran insects, there are well-known blood-sucking mosquitoes, which are familiar to us from childhood with their cunning. They belong to the genus of centenarians and have been living on our planet for more than 145 million years.

Features and habitat

There are no such people who have not come across this annoying creature closely. The ultra-thin squeak of mosquitoes is impossible to confuse with anything. IN summer time year they are found everywhere, especially in places with high humidity.

This insect mosquitoes comfortable in countries with hot and humid climate. They are active there throughout the year. Mosquitoes are almost everywhere.

The only exception is the territory of Antarctica. In countries where the temperate climate prevails and there are cold periods, mosquitoes simply hibernate during this time. And as soon as the heat comes, the insects wake up.

You can see these bloodsuckers in the Arctic, where only a couple of weeks are allotted for heat. For that a short time mosquitoes can breed in huge quantities and bite the few animals that live there.

tiger mosquito

If you look at mosquito insect photo it is not immediately possible to understand how this tiny creature can be harmful to humans. In fact, this widespread blood-sucking creature is of great epidemiological significance.

Among mosquitoes there are many varieties, but their structure and external data are almost the same. The average peeping mosquito has a size of 3-5 mm. Other species reach up to 14 mm. The color of the insect is dominated by gray and brown tones.

There are species with a variegated range of colors with a predominance of yellow, green, red flowers. Almost all of their representatives have wings, but there are also mosquitoes in which they are completely absent. The wings and legs of insects are covered with lush brushes.

Antennas are a distinctive and important organ of insects, on which there are important receptors and organs of smell. They help mosquitoes find their prey.

Only females need blood. Especially during the birth of offspring, females simply need this. Males also have enough vegetable juices. In fact, in this pair, one is a bloodsucker, the other is a vegetarian.

An ordinary, familiar to us small mosquito, a piskun, can seriously harm human health - in many cases it can be a distributor of viruses such as meningitis, infectious eczema, etc. Therefore, mosquito insect bites not only painful, but also dangerous.

The oral organ in females and males has some differences. If you look at a mosquito in a magnifying glass, you can see the elongation of its lips, resembling a kind of case.

Behind this "case" are hidden jaws covered with teeth. The teeth of the insect are thin, like a needle. This is what the female mouth looks like. In the male, it is slightly underdeveloped, which does not allow him to make a hole under skin and feed on human blood. Therefore, only the female is bloodsucking.

The insect can fly very fast. Its speed is 3.3 km/h. With the help of air currents, mosquitoes can travel a distance of 100 km. The insect weighs so little that, being in the web, it does not even attract the attention of the spider, there is not the slightest hesitation from its weight.

If speak about life cycle insect, then it consists of certain phases of reincarnation. The eggs laid by the female eventually turn into larvae, which, after 4 molts, pass into the pupal stage. The pupae, in turn, turn into mature mosquitoes are blood-sucking insects.

That mosquito is a harmful insect we are taught from childhood. Therefore, people try in every possible way to lead mosquito control. All mosquito-like insects everywhere and always aroused dislike in people.

Character and lifestyle

Often, their bites become fatal for people, because mosquitoes carry a variety of diseases that are dangerous to people. Insects are distinguished by amazing endurance, but in too cold climatic conditions they don't live.

In places with temperate climate mosquitoes are active from the end of spring to October - the month. With the early arrival of spring, their appearance can be observed in April.

In the summer, they can be everywhere - in a residential area, on the street, in a forest, near a pond. In winter, mosquitoes find shelter in the barn with cattle, in basements and other buildings.

Developing a high mosquito speed, insects can cover a distance of 1 km, especially females practice such flights when they are looking for something to profit from.

Mosquitoes are the root cause of many spoiled forays into nature and simply good nights in a residential area. Therefore, people have long taken care that in such situations they always have the necessary mosquito repellents.

To combat these insects, the most various methods. People have not learned to completely destroy the squeakers, but they still manage to protect themselves from them.

Special mosquito repellers, which can be turned on in the living room and not be afraid that the insect will wake up or bite at night. These devices have a very different structure, but their benefits are incredible.

In field conditions and in the conditions of expeditions, people are saved by various ointments for mosquito and insect bites. There are ointments that help relieve the symptoms of itching and allergic manifestations caused by mosquito bites. They help to avoid severe negative consequences in the form of edema and inflammation.

Mosquito feeding

As already mentioned, mosquitoes are bloodsuckers. Without blood, the female may not be able to produce offspring. The male, having a different structure of the oral cavity, feeds exclusively on plant nectar, and this food suits him perfectly.

Sometimes the female allows herself to diversify the menu with vegetable juices. A mixture of blood and plant foods helps the female produce more robust offspring. But for building materials, when carrying eggs, the female still needs protein, which can be easily found in a bitten warm-blooded creature.

In general, mosquitoes prefer human or mammalian blood. But there are also species whose favorite delicacy is the blood of reptiles, amphibians and fish.

Mosquitoes find their victims thanks to excellent developed bodies smell. They are attracted to the smell of lactic acid in the prey, which females can smell hundreds of kilometers away.

Reproduction and lifespan

From the females during the mating season comes an incomparable squeak, which they get thanks to the movements of the wings. This sound attracts males. Moreover, the sound of mosquitoes different ages is different.

These differences are caught by the mosquito and choose for themselves an adult female capable of childbearing. In a swarm formed by mosquitoes, the process of mating females with males takes place. This is followed by the laying of eggs.

Sometimes their number can reach up to 290 pieces. This process can be repeated every 3 days. After going through all the phases of its development, an adult mosquito eventually appears. The life expectancy of males and females is somewhat different. The first live usually no more than a month. Females are given longer period– about 2 months.

Common and malarial mosquitoes

The mosquito (Culex) belongs to the Diptera order and is a member of the large mosquito family (Cullcidae).
This is a well-known small insect (6-7 mm) with a prominent chest, a long narrow abdomen and one pair of narrow wings. The male is easily distinguished from the female by the more developed, strongly feathery antennae. Only females attack people and animals and feed on their blood, in which the proboscis has piercing bristles. Males feed on plant sap.

As an excursion object of great interest are larvae mosquitoes, which in spring are found in masses in shallow fresh waters, most often stagnant, moreover, where the bottom depth is not more than 1-1.5 m: in ponds, ditches, forest puddles, pits with water, often even in uncovered gutter tubs, vats and so on.

The mosquito larva looks like a legless worm with an expanded chest, a jointed abdomen and a large head, on which two black eyes are easily distinguished. On the penultimate segment of the abdomen, a long, oblique outgrowth process is seen, this is a respiratory tube, at the end of which there are respiratory openings.

Mosquito larvae. Increased 1 - larva of common mosquito (Culex pipiens); 2 - larva malarial mosquito(Anopheles maculipennis); 3 - larva of an amphibian mosquito (Dixa amphibia); gg - respiratory openings from which two tracheal trunks begin.

It is not difficult to detect the presence of larvae in this pool, since the larvae in a calm state hang at the very surface of the water. To catch them, you need to quickly draw a net through the water before the nimble society has time to sink to the bottom. Where there are many larvae, it is easy to do without a net, simply scooping up water with some kind of vessel. To examine the caught larvae, they should be placed in a small glass jar or a wide test tube filled with clean water.
The attention of tourists first of all stops at the characteristic movements larvae. It is enough to throw some object into the water, wave something over the water, or even quickly approach the reservoir where the larvae are located, as they immediately break away from the spot, sink down with characteristic snake-like movements and hide at the bottom of the reservoirs. Their movement in the water is helped by swimming hairs, which sit in bunches on the segments of the body. In particular, a large tuft is present on the last caudal segment. After some time, the larvae again float to the surface of the reservoir, where they are driven by the need for air.
The point is that the larvae breathe atmospheric air, the supply of which in the body requires constant refreshment. Larvae, rising to the surface, expose their caudal windpipes from the water and take in air into the tracheal trunks. In this case, the larva hangs at the surface of the water upside down, in a very characteristic position, at a certain angle to the surface of the water (40°-60°). It is retained by the surface tension of the liquid, which forms an elastic film, which the larva pierces with its respiratory process and to which it hangs from below.
The mass of larvae hanging in this way, dotting the surface of the reservoir, is sometimes a remarkable sight.
As soon as the larva breaks away from the surface tension film, it begins to sink into the water, since its body is heavier than water. To float to the surface, she needs to resort to active swimming movements.
feed on larvae by various microscopic organisms, for example, unicellular algae, and also, in all likelihood, parts of rotting plants.
Development The larva consists in a series of successive molts (a total of 3 molts are observed), and then the larva turns into a pupa, which is completely different in its warehouse from the larva. It somewhat resembles in appearance a small tadpole, and the front part of its body is dressed in a common shell, and only the jointed abdomen remains free. The whole body is curved like a comma. In water, the pupa assumes a different position than the larva. Suspended to the surface, it puts out of the water not the rear, but the front end of its body. On the dorsal side of the front of the body, it has a pair of funnel-shaped breathing tubes that are visible to the naked eye and resemble small horns, giving the animal a very peculiar appearance. These horns are chrysalis and protrude from the water when breathing. When frightened, the pupae, like the larvae, dive into the water, but move differently: hitting the water with their abdomen, which ends in fins, they amusingly somersault over their heads; after holding out for some time at the bottom, the pupae again emerge, holding their horns up and passively rising to the surface, since their body is lighter than water, having an extensive air chamber inside.
The pupa does not take any food. At the end of a short life, the color of the pupa changes: the older the pupa, the darker it is. Before hatching, it turns from light brown to almost black.
A mature pupa bursts on the surface of the water, and a young mosquito gradually crawls out through the gap between its horns. An abandoned pupal shell floating on the surface of the water serves as a temporary boat for him, by the edges of which he clings until his wings spread and dry, and he takes off into the air. The slightest disturbance on the surface of the water at this time is detrimental to the mosquito, as it falls into the water, from where it is no longer able to get out.
Some time after fledging, having fed on blood, the females begin to lay eggs, which are released directly onto the surface of the water. These floating egg packs consist of several hundred eggs and have a very distinctive oval shape with a spoon-shaped indentation that allows them to float on the surface of the water like a tiny shuttle. At the same time, individual eggs, having an oblong cigar-shaped shape and glued into a common pack, stand perpendicular to the surface of the water.
Usual duration development an ordinary mosquito (at a temperature of 15-20 °) - about a month, and in the pupal stage the insect lives on average about 2-5 days. The duration of development is directly related to the temperature of the water and at a higher temperature it is almost halved. On the other hand, at temperatures below 12° the development of the larvae stops altogether. On an excursion, this dependence can be shown by fishing in parallel in two adjacent reservoirs, one of which is in the sun and the other in the shade (for example, under the shade of trees). While in the second reservoir we will find only young larvae, in the first reservoir most of the larvae have not only reached their maximum growth, but have already managed to turn into pupae.

Among other representatives of the mosquito family, the larvae of which are often found in our fresh water bodies, we note the following forms:

Amphibious mosquito(Dixa amphibia). The larvae of this mosquito are very similar to the larvae of the malarial mosquito, but they hold themselves in a completely different way. Curving its body in a steep arc, the larva of the amphibian mosquito catches on any objects protruding from the water so that the front and rear ends of its body remain immersed in water, and the middle part of the body is kept out of the water. Such a semi-terrestrial way of life of this larva was the reason for its name. Its pupa, living in water, exists for a very short time, only a few hours, and quickly passes to fledging. An adult insect lays eggs, enclosing them in a gelatinous lump, which sinks to the bottom of the reservoir.

Mosquito larvae. Increased 1 - larva of the coretra, or pinnate mosquito (Corethra plumicornis): M - air sacs; 2 - mochlonyx larva, or mosquito-shaped mosquito (Mochlonyx culiclformis).

Cirrus mosquito Choaborus (Corethra) plumicornis L. has a very interesting vitreous-transparent larva, which can be seen in the water only with a certain attention. This transparency helps the larva to elude its many enemies, in particular fish. Unlike other mosquitoes, the coretra larva never rises to the surface of the water, but constantly stays at some depth in a horizontal position; most of all, it hangs motionless in the water, from time to time making sharp jumps and bending the body at the same time. The coretra larva does not possess any respiratory adaptations, but absorbs the oxygen dissolved in water through its racing skin.
It feeds on various microscopic animals, most often small crustaceans, which it catches extremely cleverly, grabbing prey with its hook-shaped curved oral appendages.
The best way to examine a coretra caught on an excursion is to put it in a small vessel with clean water and look at the larva in the light. Due to the transparency of the cover, you can even see with the naked eye many features of its internal structure.
Two pairs of silvery bubbles immediately catch your eye - one in the front, the other in the back of the body - which are filled with air and serve as a swimming device for the larva, supporting it in the water. The intestinal canal is also visible, along its entire length, and even the tracheal trunks passing along the body. This larva presents a particularly remarkable picture when examined under a microscope or with a strong magnifying glass, which can be done when examining the material of an excursion.
When mature, the larva turns into a pupa, in general very similar to the pupa of an ordinary mosquito, but never showing itself on the surface of the water.
Adult insects lay their eggs in water, enclosing them in a gelatinous shell. Such a clutch looks like a small transparent ball, which contains oblong eggs (100 - 150 pieces), arranged in a tight spiral.
Adult insects are gray-brown in color (length about 6 mm). The males have long, fluffy, yellowish coats, from which the mosquito gets its name. Unlike the common and malarial mosquito, they do not have the ability to bite people and animals, without having piercing bristles in their proboscis.
Resembling some features of its structure, the larva of an ordinary mosquito, and others - the larva of the coretra, and is, as it were, a transitional form between them (Fig. 259). Like the larva of the common mosquito, the Mochlonix larva has a windpipe and an expanded thoracic part of the body. Like the larva of the coretra, it has two pairs of swimming air bladders and stays at a certain depth in a horizontal position, remaining for a long time motionless in the water. The larva is equipped with grasping antennae and feeds mainly on small crustaceans. It is found, usually in the same reservoirs in which we find the offspring of the common mosquito.

Mosquito larvae and pupae. Increased (According to Porchinsky.) On the left - an ordinary mosquito; on the right is a malarial mosquito.

Heads of female common mosquitoes (Culex) - on the left. Gone strongly. (According to E. N. Pavlovsky.) 1 - antennae; 2 - tentacles; 3 - proboscis and malarial mosquito (Anopheles maculipennis) - on the right. Gone strongly. (According to E. N. Pavlovsky.) 1 - antennae; 2 - tentacles; 3 - proboscis.

1. The malarial mosquito has longer legs than the common mosquito.
2. The female malarial mosquito has jointed tentacles on its head, which are almost equal in length to the proboscis, while the female common mosquito has very short tentacles, not exceeding a quarter of the length of the proboscis (do not mix the tentacles with the screeds (antennae), which are the same in both species). length).
3. The malarial mosquito has dark spots on its wings, while many representatives of the genus Culex (C. pipiens) do not have them.
4. At rest, the perched malarial mosquito holds its body more or less perpendicular to the surface on which it sits, while the common mosquito holds its body more or less parallel to the substrate.
5. The larvae of the malarial mosquito differ from the larvae of the common mosquito in that they do not have a long respiratory tube at the end of the body, and their respiratory openings are sessile. Being on the surface of the water, they do not hold at an angle to the surface, like the larva of an ordinary mosquito, but lie horizontally.
6. Malarial mosquito larvae live in clean water and do not settle in water bodies rich in organic residues, while common mosquito larvae are often found in such water bodies.

Reservoirs heavily overgrown with high marsh vegetation (reeds), as well as waters completely covered with a green cover of duckweed, are not very suitable for the breeding of larvae. In addition, the larvae are very sensitive to water reactions and do not occur in acidic waters, preferring neutral or slightly alkaline ones. For this reason, the water of peat bogs, rich in humic acids, is free from Anopheles larvae. Water bodies poor in flora and fauna are also usually not populated by malarial larvae.
Especially often you can find the larvae of the malarial mosquito where there is an accumulation of various filamentous algae in the water, among the thickets of which they successfully hide. For these reasons, the larvae of the malarial mosquito are much more difficult to detect than the larvae of the common mosquito, and their finding requires a more or less thorough survey of the reservoir /
The disturbed larva dives and sinks to the bottom, where it can stay for quite a long time, but then again rises to the surface, as it breathes atmospheric air.
The larvae feed on small aquatic organisms, which are captured by the movement of the mouth brushes and carried into the mouth opening. Sometimes the larvae also feed on plant foods, gnawing on filamentous algae, etc.

Wings of malarial mosquitoes. Gone strongly. (According to E. N. Pavlovsky.) 1 - common malarial mosquito (Anopheles maculipennis); 2 - forest (Anopheles bifurcatus); 3 - Pallas mosquito (Anopheles hyrcanus).

The body of the larva consists of a head, thorax and abdomen. On the abdomen, 9 segments covered with setae can be distinguished. The last segment bears a bundle of long setae, the so-called oar. In addition, on the last segment, 4 thin leaf-shaped appendages, called anal gills, can be distinguished (Fig. 266). The size of the larvae increases with age from 1 to 8-9 mm. There are four instars of larvae, and the color of the larvae sometimes changes with age. The larvae of the first age are black, the second and third instars are black or grayish, the larvae of the fourth age usually lighten and are greenish or reddish, but sometimes retain a dark color.
The larvae develop faster, the higher the water temperature. At 20-25°C, development ends in 3-4 weeks, at a temperature of 25-30°C, 8-10 days are enough for this. During the summer in the south of the USSR 4-5 or more generations of anopheles are hatched. IN northern parts The Union at the latitude of Leningrad is inspired by 2-3 generations.
The enemies of the larvae of the malarial mosquito are many small aquatic predators: larvae of dragonflies, water beetles, water bugs, as well as some types of fish (carps, perches). A small, very voracious and hardy viviparous fish gambusia (Gambusia affinis) imported from South America, which has been acclimatized in the USSR since 1924 (on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus), plays a special role in the extermination of Anopheles larvae.
The pupa of the malarial mosquito is very similar to the pupa of the common mosquito, only it is more curved and has shorter respiratory horns.

The eggs of the malarial mosquito are never connected in large shuttle-shaped packages, but float on the surface of the water in small piles, several pieces together. At the same time, the eggs are not glued together in packs, but lie on the water with their long side.
Adult malarial mosquitoes usually stay close to the breeding grounds and do not fly far. It is believed that they rarely fly further than 1-2 km. In the vertical direction, mosquitoes rise no higher than 15-20 m. In their way of life, these are completely nocturnal animals. During the day, they hide in dark places, climb into barns, latrines, where they sit motionless on walls or ceilings. At night, they fly away and at dawn again climb into their shelters, where they are easy to find and catch, since during the day they are in a lethargic, passive state. Therefore, malarial mosquitoes very rarely attack a person during the day, and most often bite sleeping ones.

Mosquito larvae.
Left - malarial mosquito (Anopheles); on the right - an ordinary mosquito (Aedes cinereue); 1 - tentacles; 2 - rosettes of abdominal hairs; 3 - spiracles; 4 - antennae; 5 - 9 abdominal segment; 6 - brush; 7 - head; 8 - chest; 9 - abdomen (I-VIII segments of the abdomen); 10 - scallop of spines; 11 - respiratory siphon; 12 - spiracles; 13 - anal gills.

Adult males and females feed differently. Males take exclusively plant food, feeding on plant juices. Females also feed on plant foods for a long time, but during the breeding season they need the blood of animals as a nutrient material for the formation of eggs. Having sucked blood, the female digests it for about 2 days and again looks for food.
The life span of males and females is not the same. Males live only a few days and therefore are rare, females are up to two months (not counting the wintering time). By autumn, males and unfertilized females die. Fertilized females that have not yet laid eggs remain for the winter. They hibernate in rooms sheltered from the wind and sharp fluctuations in temperature (cellars, basements, etc.), where they climb into dark corners (often onto cobwebs) and fall into a numb state. A gradual decrease in temperature to - 30 ° C is tolerated by mosquitoes without harm to themselves. In the spring, overwintered females fly out when the average daily air temperature reaches 5-7 ° and the sun begins to warm the reservoirs sufficiently. 10-15 days after departure from wintering, females start laying eggs for the first time.

Females lay their eggs in water when it warms up to a temperature of 10-11 ° C. Egg laying in water bodies occurs several times, and one female can lay up to 200 eggs at a time.

Pupa of a common mosquito. Gone strongly. (According to E. N. Pavlovsky.) Pupa and breathing tube.

In the European part of Russia, the following types of malarial mosquitoes are found:
Anopheles vulgaris(Anopheles maculipennis Meig.) - the most common species, which is the only one and is found in the northern parts of Russia and is the main vector of malaria. The color of the mosquito is brown-brown with two blackish stripes on the sides of the middle back. There are four spots on the wings of clusters of black-brown scales arranged in the form of a Roman numeral V. Length 6-10 mm.
Anopheles forest(A. bifurcatus L.). Color black-brown. Wings without dark spots. Length 6-8 mm. Found in forests. Less likely to attack a person than the previous species. It occurs in the forest region of Russia, in the forest-steppe Ukraine, in the Crimea, in the Caucasus.
Anopheles blackfoot(A. plumbeus Steph.). The color is blackish gray with a leaden tinge. Wings without spots. Legs are black. The size is less than the previous ones, 4-5 mm long. Forest view. Lays eggs in tree hollows filled with water. It is found in the forest-steppe Ukraine, in the Crimea, in the Caucasus.
Anopheles Pallas(A. hyrcanus Pallas). Dark in color with a predominance of dark coloration on the wings. Tarsi with white rings at the top of the first 3-4 segments. Length 5-6 mm. It is found in vast swamps and floodplain meadows. It is found in the south (southern Ukraine, the Lower Volga region, Crimea, the Caucasus).
In addition to these species, there are several more found only in Transcaucasia, Turkestan.
In the most common species Anopheles maculipennis, several (4-5) forms are currently distinguished, so that they can only be sorted out by the microscopic features of the eggs (color, size of the swimming chambers).

The life cycle of this well-known insect originates in water (from a puddle to a lake), most of all in time having the form of a mosquito larva. Forest representatives of these insects lay their eggs in places where water accumulates, such as hollow trees. After a little time (from 2 to 5 days), a mosquito larva hatches from the egg.

In appearance, the emerging larva is very similar to a small worm. Its growth and development takes place directly in the water, where there is enough food and optimum temperature. The larva changes several times before turning into a pupa. After some time, a fully mature mosquito appears.

mosquito larvae various kinds differ not only in outward signs, but also a number of other features. Depending on how the larva is located in the water, its variety can be determined. In addition, each species of these insects has its own temperature conditions for development. It can be both ponds and ditches illuminated and heated by the sun, and reservoirs located in the shade. To fully develop, mosquito larvae need a temperature of 10 to 35 °C.

This species is also known as the pisk mosquito. It can be found everywhere. Pisk mosquito - blood-sucking insect, although only females are such. For them, this is a natural process necessary for breeding offspring. Males feed exclusively on plant juices. This species is also known as a carrier dangerous diseases(infections, meningitis, etc.).

Peeper mosquito larvae are born in such water bodies as sewers, stagnant water of basements and cellars, treatment pits, etc. They develop well even in deep darkness and under high temperature conditions.

For breathing, this species uses a siphon located on the eighth segment of the abdomen. If the larva is under water, it closes with a special valve. For movement, the larva of the Pisk mosquito uses the caudal fin, which is located on the last (ninth) segment of the abdomen and consists of the smallest bristles.

Malaria mosquito larvae

This type of mosquito is considered the most dangerous, as it is able to endure very difficult conditions in treatment. diseases. This species lays its eggs in clear waters with moderate vegetation. They are well suited to places with a low degree of alkalinity and water bodies where filamentous algae grow - they serve as a refuge, and often food for larvae for the entire period of development.

The larva of the malarial mosquito hangs near the very surface of the water in a horizontal position, since this species does not have a pronounced breathing tube at the tail end. Peculiar breathing holes are located in them almost at the very end of the abdomen. The entire surface of the body of the malarial mosquito larva is covered with bristles that grow with it and gradually change color from black to green or reddish. The food for the larvae are small organisms that live in the water. They catch them with their mouth brushes and direct them into the mouth opening.

Stinging mosquito larvae

Mosquito larvae of this species differ from others in the presence of hair tufts on the siphon, located at its very base. Adults have spiracular bristles, dark spots on the wings, and white rings on the legs. This species lives in areas close to the forest zone.

The place of birth and development of the larvae of the stinging mosquito is water bodies, small in volume and size, which are formed temporarily after heavy rains both in the city and in the countryside.

Swamp mosquito larvae

This species is also known as the meadow. It is not a blood-sucking species, feeding on exclusively food of plant origin (nectar). You can’t meet them in cities, as swamp mosquitoes live in meadows flooded with water, in a forest zone where there is a lot of moss, or in other damp places near water. By external signs, they are similar to the centipede mosquito, differing from them in the venation of the wings. They can be seen most often at dusk, slowly flying in the air.

The female meadow mosquito lays its eggs directly in water, in damp soil or in damp moss. Being in these places, the hatched larva feeds on the remains of decomposed algae and plants. Some, however, are able to manifest themselves as predators. They build silk tubes, breathe air, for which they often pierce the roots of aquatic plants to obtain oxygen.

Mosquito centipede larvae

This large view grayish mosquitoes are not a bloodsucker. Their food is dew and plant nectar. This species has neither a stinger nor a piercing proboscis. The habitat of the centipede mosquito is an area with high level humidity: thickets near shallow water bodies, swamps and thickets of forests near the lake.

The female weevil mosquito lays elongated eggs by hopping above the ground and poking its abdomen into the soil. The hatched larvae grow and develop in plant roots, rotting tree bark, or on the surface of silt. Appearance they resemble worms with a large head, in which an asterisk is at the end of the body - this is a well-developed oral gnawing apparatus.

Mosquito larvae of this species bring great harm man when the harvest is destroyed. Their favorite food, apart from algae, is young crop seedlings with soft, succulent roots.

This small mosquito, the most numerous in appearance, is distributed on all continents except snowy Antarctica. He lives in shady forest areas and in the tundra. Activity begins in mid-April and continues until severe cold. This happens because female biting mosquitoes lay eggs. late autumn, and with the first warm days in puddles you can see countless larvae. To start development, they need a temperature just above 5 ° C. This type of mosquito is very dangerous, as it is a carrier of serious diseases, such as the Zika virus and yellow fever.

The characteristic features of the bite mosquito are clearly visible stripes white color on the limbs and on the body. Female biters feed on blood, after which they lay eggs. To do this, they do not have to be satisfied at all, a small amount is enough to give offspring. That is why this species so numerous.

The laid eggs have a yellowish tint, but during the day they darken, turn brown. The hatched larvae of the biting mosquito grow and develop into aquatic environment. They hang upside down in the water. They breathe oxygen, so they cannot be at depth all the time. They feed on dead tissue particles, microorganisms and algae. The larva becomes a chrysalis and rises to the water surface, where it lives for about 2 days before the mosquito appears.