Komar-pussy: description and photo

Unique creations of nature hide many secrets. An animal with six limbs - a mosquito-scribble - which will be discussed in this article, has an amazing multiphase life cycle and the ability to eat not only blood. Let us consider in more detail the habitat, the structure of the body of an insect and the stage of its development.

The mosquito's diet

The mosquito-peskun belongs to the order of Diptera insects of the species Culex pipiens. A small parasite reaches a length of 3-7 mm. Nature awarded him with an amazing "hearing": without ears, an adult can catch the presence of warm-blooded creatures at a distance of 30 meters. To do this, there is a special organ - sensitive tendrils. In males they are covered with small hairs, due to what they seem like fluffy feathers.

This mechanism allows you to catch the presence of the female during the mating season, because in the search for a victim, the male does not need anything at all. Its main diet is made up of natural sugars. Mosquitoes find them in the nectar of burdock, tansy and other field herbs. The female diet includes two components - in the period before mating, it feeds, as does the male.

After marriage dances, the insect becomes a real scourge of warm-blooded ones, looking for them to be filled with blood. A mosquito-peekun, whose limbs in the number of six pieces allow a sexually mature individual to sneak up on the victim, may have a different color of the body, which contributes to its good camouflage. Representatives of the species that have a brown hue are barely discernible on the bark of trees, and the striped individuals are beautifully hidden among the grasses, in the understory.

Habitat and Lifestyle

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

The closer the river, the swamp, the lake, the more likely it is to meet countless hordes of scribes. This is due to their life cycle, some of which takes place in the aquatic environment. Parasites are ubiquitous. You will not meet them unless in the Arctic or the desert, where they can not reproduce.

For the winter, the parasite prefers to hide in the cellars of residential buildings. The presence of small puddles and heat allows them to "spend time with benefit." Pupae turn into an adult that flies into the homes of people in search of food.

Body structure

The body of the mosquito is divided into several parts. The head is attached to the thoracic region with the help of three shield plates. It has sensitive antennae, huge faceted eyes and a mouthpiece. In the middle of the body is a breast, divided into three segments. To it the legs, an abdomen and wings of an insect are fastened. Here there is a spiracle, connected with the trachea.

Why do we hear a characteristic mosquito squeak? It produces paired wings, equipped with a margin at the edges. A high frequency of oscillations is captured by the human ear in the form of a ringing sound. The parasite makes 500-1000 strokes per second. The wings consist of various veins, covered with a small number of scales.

How many limbs are there in a gnat-mosquito? To answer this question, you need to carefully examine the adult. Six thin legs are attached to her thoracic region. They have a rather complex structure, allowing the insect not only to rest on the skin of the victim, but also to crawl like a plastunian. Each foot has five segments with suckers at the end, the last of which is equipped with two claws.

How much blood can a female drink?

Sexually mature female mosquito-pussy feeds on blood. This fluid is rich in proteins necessary for the formation of eggs and their proper development. How much food can a bloodthirsty lady absorb? A hungry mosquito weighs about 1-2 mg, and a diner is about 3-5 mg. A special structure of the abdomen helps to fit this amount of blood. It is divided into 10 segments, interconnected by elastic membranes. When the food is absorbed and the future offspring is born, the pleura is greatly stretched.

Does the mosquito have teeth?

A detailed study of the oral apparatus of the mosquito-squeaker revealed its unique structure. The feeding organs consist of two pairs of jaws equipped with teeth. They are located in the "case" formed by elongated lips. Proboscis piercing the skin, equipped with stilettos. In the male they are absent. In the process of feeding, the lower jaws cling to the teeth behind the tissues and drag the sucking apparatus deep.

To prevent the victim from feeling threatened, the mosquito injects an anesthetic. And the place of the bite is itchy from the insect secretion of the anticoagulant, which prevents blood coagulation.

It's interesting that the pussy mustache allows you to smell the future of the "donor" in several ways. The female distinguishes both body temperature and the release of CO ₂ and lactic acid. The latter is synthesized by the glands of a person with perspiration and is caught by a blood-sucking individual at a distance of up to 50 meters. The detailed structure of the head of an insect such as a mosquito-pussy (photo presented), you can consider under a multiple increase of an electron microscope.

Reproduction

Walking near the reservoir in the warm season, you can observe the marriage of mosquitoes. They get into big packs. In this case, the female makes a characteristic squeak to attract the opposite sex. The male catches the sound and finds his own pair.

At the end of the marriage period the female scribes try to get enough fresh blood. They look for the victim and absorb the source of protein for the development of offspring. After some time, the individual lays eggs in the form of tiny boats. They are densely glued together in an amount of 20-30 pieces. Mother searches for future larvae a source of standing water saturated with organic matter and the simplest creatures. Mosquitoes are not at all exacting to the conditions of growth and can develop even in a polluted environment. They are suitable shallow ponds, excluding the presence of waves - puddles, ditches, barrels.

Life cycle

The lower part of eggs is equipped with a special "hatch". After 2-8 days, larvae appear from the masonry. They need to gain strength and grow up. For this, the newborn bloodworm feeds on simple organisms, unicellular algae and bacteria. The body length of the larvae is only 1 mm. In the tail part there is a breathing tube, through which they pierce the water surface and absorb atmospheric air. How many legs does a lichen mosquito have in the larval stage? Yes, they simply do not exist! The slightest threat - and, wriggling all over, the bloodworm will hide in the water column.

Within three weeks of the larva passes 4 stages of molting. Their body increases in size to 8-10 mm, extending 8 times. After such metamorphosis, accompanied also by internal changes, pupae appear. They are sometimes called "devils" because of the presence of two respiratory processes in the head. Outwardly, the bloodworm is similar to a tightly folded worm, reminiscent of a comma.

The next stage of development ends in a week. Discarding the skin of the pupa, the mosquito spreads its wings and goes into flight.

Benefits and harm to mosquitoes

In addition to importunity of parasites, there is a danger of infection with a bite. Along with the saliva of the mosquito-pussy, some viruses can penetrate into the human body - Japanese encephalitis, filariasis, meningitis, bird malaria. The site of the puncture of the skin causes unbearable itching. Especially dangerous are bites for allergy sufferers who can develop various reactions in the form of hives, rashes and eczema.

At the same time, mosquitoes help preserve the natural balance of nature. Adult insects feed on birds, and larvae are a valuable food for aquarium fish. Especially useful is a menu for juveniles, which quickly grows on an ecologically clean black bloodworm.