Reproduction of mosquitoes is relatively small. How do mosquitoes reproduce and how long do they live

Mosquitoes are known to everyone firsthand. With the advent of summer, these insects, due to their biological developmental characteristics, begin to bother everyone without exception, from rural residents to those who live in large cities.

A person is one of the most favorite victims of mosquitoes, since the hairless skin, the small thickness of the skin and the proximity of blood vessels to its surface provide rapid blood supply to the insatiable abdomen, which means relative safety during feeding.

In this material, we will dwell in more detail on some of the features of these insects, which may help to better understand why they behave the way they do. The article will be of interest to everyone who, for various reasons, has to come into contact with mosquitoes.

Why do mosquitoes prefer people?

Many of us have probably noticed that mosquitoes bite someone so hard that they actually stick around the whole body with their invasion, but they hardly touch someone. People often explain this fact by the fact that a person simply invents, paying more attention to bites, but is this really the case, let's try to figure it out.

Mosquitoes are one of the types of insects that have well-developed sensitive organs. Almost all over their body they have receptors that can detect human odors at a distance of up to several tens of meters. Our scents are one of the main indicators that mosquitoes use to identify their prey. It is worth noting that only female mosquitoes actually bite. They need protein in their blood to successfully fertilize their eggs.

But be that as it may, mosquitoes bite not only people. Only a few species have a preference for human blood, like Anopheles gambiae, which is capable of spreading one of the most dangerous diseases - malaria. Other types of insects prefer bird blood, or amphibian blood. However, it is worth noting that most of them will drink the blood of any victim that is found at the time of the search.

As already noted, mosquitoes find their prey by the smells that it exudes. Below are the main ones that attract these bloodthirsty insects.

Carbon dioxide

Carbonic acid is one of the most attractive gases that attract mosquitoes like a magnet. There are many sources of carbon dioxide in nature, but not every one of them is an indicator of the presence of a suitable prey, but only the one that living organisms form.

Every time we exhale, we combine with carbon dioxide to release additional chemicals into the environment, such as octenol, lactic acid, uric acid, and fatty acids, which combine with carbon dioxide to form our own unique cocktail of carbon dioxide. It is this combination of scents that tells mosquitoes that their target is nearby.

But that's not all. Only some of the specific combinations of exhaled substances are more attractive to mosquitoes. The smell and amount of carbon dioxide exhaled is unique to each person and their genetics, and unfortunately there is not much we can do to change this “attractiveness” other than masking our smell.

Larger people exhale more carbon dioxide, which is why mosquitoes tend to bite adults more often than children. In addition, pregnant women also exhale chemicals above average amounts and therefore become more attractive to mosquitoes.

Body odor

Bacterial colonies, combined with the secretion of the sweat glands, generate a specific unique human odor, which we call body odor, and which we always consider unpleasant. Without bacteria, our sweat would be odorless, but thanks to their activity, the secrets of our skin are one of the most attractive odors for mosquitoes, in particular malaria, which, as already noted, prefer to bite people.

In this case, it is in our power to influence such a situation. For example, regularly washing your body at least twice a day will significantly reduce the quality of body odor. But in relation to perfumes, you need to be careful, because they can actively pull mosquitoes from all around. In addition, it is worth noting that fresh sweat is not as attractive to insects as that which is released on the surface of a body that has not been subjected to a weekly hygienic treatment.

Skin secretions

The physiological characteristics of 80% of the total number of people are due to a very active process of secreting compounds known as saccharides and antigens through the pores of the skin. Do not confuse this process with normal sweating or sebum secretion. In most people, almost the entire composition of the periodic table can be found on the skin, many of the biochemical compounds of which are a powerful magnet for mosquitoes.

Here, as in the very first version, this process is determined solely by the genetic characteristics of each individual and there is nothing that could be done to change this process.

Blood type

Depending on the blood type, the human excretory system secretes different aromas. Studies have shown that mosquitoes are most attracted to people with the first blood type, and the least to those with the second. Naturally, nothing can be done here either.

Lactic acid

Lactic acid is always excreted through our skin, however, the amount depends on physical activity or diet containing certain foods. Mosquitoes are always more attracted to people with a high buildup of lactic acid on their skin. This effect can be influenced by frequent washing with soap, especially after exercise. As for nutrition, lactic acid is one of the main products that is released during the digestion and assimilation of meat products.

It is worth noting that there are also other characteristics of the human body that mosquitoes respond to, such as temperature, humidity, movement and color shades, but in any case, our smells are the most important characteristics.

How mosquitoes reproduce - life cycle features

Like most insects, mosquitoes go through four stages of their life cycle - an egg, a larva, a pupa and an adult, which is called an adult. In most species, adult females lay their eggs in areas of stagnant water - some near the water's edge, others stick their eggs on aquatic plants.

Each species chooses the state of the site and does so in accordance with its ecological adaptations. Depending on the species, mosquitoes are generalists and are not very picky about their surroundings - both a large lake and a small temporary puddle are suitable for them, but for some, give swamps or salt marshes.

Most species, including the common mosquito, which is so familiar to all of us, prefer to lay their eggs on aquatic plants in natural reservoirs, accumulations of rainwater in holes in tree trunks, or even on drops of moisture collected on large leaves.

The first three stages of development - egg, larva and pupa, are mainly aquatic. These stages usually last from 5 to 14 days, depending on the species and ambient temperature, but there are major exceptions. Mosquitoes living in regions where severe winter frosts are observed, or vice versa - waterless droughts are possible, spend part of the year in diapause. During this period, they delay their development, usually for several months, and return to activity only when there is enough water and heat for their needs.

Eggs and oviposition

The way mosquitoes lay their eggs varies considerably between species, and the morphology of the eggs themselves varies greatly. The simplest procedure followed by many species of Anopheles, like many other gracile species, is for the females to simply fly over the water, bouncing up and down on its surface and drop their eggs in batches directly into the water. The eggs of this common mosquito species are cigar-shaped, and contain a small air chamber in their upper part, which prevents them from sinking to great depths.

In total, females of many common species can lay 100-200 eggs in their lifetime. Even with intergenerational mortality, within a few weeks, one successful pair of mosquitoes can create a population of thousands of insects.

Larva

The mosquito larva has a well-developed head with brushes in its mouth which it uses for feeding, a large thoracic region without legs, and a segmented belly.

The mosquito larva breathes through spiracles located on the eighth abdominal segment, so it often has to float up to the surface of the water. The larvae spend most of their time feeding on algae, bacteria and other micro-organisms, which are found in large quantities in the surface microlayer.

Over the period of its life, this form of the life cycle develops through four stages, after which it turns into pupae. At the end of each instar, the larvae molt, shedding their upper shells to allow for further body growth.

chrysalis

When viewed from the side, the mosquito chrysalis is shaped like a comma. The head and thoracic region merge into the cephalothorax, and the abdomen curves downward. The pupa can actively swim, turning over on its stomach. Like the larva, this stage of the life cycle of most mosquito species requires regular exposure to the water surface in order to breathe. The process is carried out through a pair of breathing tubes located in the cephalothorax.

It is worth noting that the pupae do not feed during this stage. As a rule, they spend their time floating on the surface of the water with their breathing tubes exposed. If something frightens them, such as an evasive shadow, they quickly dive, but soon emerge again.

After a few days or longer, depending on the temperature and other circumstances, the chrysalis rises to the surface of the water, dorsally up, and transforms into an adult mosquito.

Development timeline

The period of development from egg to adult varies among mosquito species and is highly dependent on ambient temperature. Some species can develop from egg to adult in as little as five days, but a more typical development period in tropical conditions will be around 40 days or more for most species. The change in body size in adult mosquitoes depends on the density of larval feeding and the availability of food within the area of ​​the reservoir.

What does a male mosquito eat and other features of mosquito biology

Adult mosquitoes usually take off within the first day after emerging from the pupa. In most species, males form large flocks, usually within a shady area, forming the well-known "mosquito column" where females gather and mate.

The male mosquito usually has a lifespan of about 5-7 days and feeds on nectar and other sources of sugar provided by plants. But the females after fertilization immediately set off in search of their potential victims. After receiving a full supply of blood, the female will rest for several days while the blood is digested and the eggs develop. This process is temperature dependent, but typically takes two to three days in tropical conditions. After the eggs are fully developed, the female lays them and continues to search for the next host.

This cycle is repeated until the female dies. Most of them do not live longer than one to two weeks in nature. Their lifespan depends on temperature, humidity, and the ability to successfully obtain fresh blood while avoiding the protection of the victim.

Of particular interest is the mosquito's mouthparts, which are an almost perfect system for obtaining blood. The head of the insect has an elongated shape, filed forward and a proboscis protruding like a sting, which they use for feeding. In addition, the "set" has two sensory tentacles, with which the female looks for the most convenient place for a puncture, because it is necessary that the skin in this place be thinner, and the blood vessel closer. At the very end of the proboscis are the rudiments of the upper lip, with which the insect, like sharp razors, gnaws the upper layers of the skin of the victim.

There are two channels in the cavity of the proboscis. One connects the working area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe organ with the digestive system, and along the second, saliva is pulled into the bite site, which contains substances that prevent blood clotting and light painkillers. So nature helps the insect to more successfully carry out the act of bloodsucking.

As for the males, their mouthparts are much simpler and more of a licking type than a piercing-sucking type. This is enough for them to get the nutrients of plant sap, which is what they eat for their entire short life.

People often ask what the mosquito eats in the swamps. As it has already become clear, the male - exclusively by plant juices, and the female in any case will need blood, which means - the victim containing it. If there is a shortage of warm-blooded creatures, female mosquitoes can quite successfully attack amphibians and reptiles, including swamp snakes, lizards, frogs and others. There are species that even bite fish.

The belly of a female mosquito is designed not only to digest blood, but also to develop eggs. The gut can hold a blood volume that is three times the body weight of a female mosquito. This segment expands significantly during the bite, which can be observed with the naked eye.

It is often believed that the mosquito is so insatiable that it can literally burst from excess blood. Actually, this is a myth. The female mosquito will drink exactly as much blood as she needs and not a microgram more. But no less, therefore, if her nutrition process is disrupted, she will again begin to search for a victim in order to supplement the missing volume.

In addition, it is believed that mosquitoes are able to carry infectious diseases if they have previously bitten an infected organism. This is also a myth, since the blood once entered into the belly of a mosquito will come out, either in the form of digested excrement, or after the destruction of the insect.

Through the alimentary canal, which connects the proboscis and the digestive intestine of the mosquito, the movement of blood is possible only in one direction - towards the intestine.

If we talk about the inverse relationship in food chains, answering the question - which animal eats mosquitoes, then the answer will be very extensive. Mosquito eggs, their larvae and pupae are excellent food for fish, frogs and water bugs. Those who eat mosquitoes when they have reached the adult stage include all kinds of birds, amphibians and reptiles. It must be said that mosquitoes occupy a firm place in the niche of the food chain, which should never be disturbed, for example, through the global use of insecticides.

Blood-sucking insects are found on almost all continents. City residents and summer residents, fishermen and hunters are actively fighting with them. To do this, they use special devices and insecticidal preparations. And not always their actions bring the desired result. This is because people do not know how mosquitoes reproduce, what factors affect the duration of their existence.

The main habitat of blood-sucking insects:

• Swamps.
• Reservoirs and tanks with stagnant water.
• Lowlands.
• Dense shrubs.

In our country, peeping mosquitoes are more common, which interfere with resting at home and in nature in the summer. How long mosquitoes live depends largely on such factors:

1. Temperature regime. The acceptable temperature range for female blood-sucking insects is + 10- + 15 degrees. Their life expectancy reaches 4 months. If the temperature rises to +20 degrees, then it is reduced to 2-2.5 months. In similar conditions, the male lives 1.5-2 times less.
2. Humidity level. In order for a mosquito or squeaker to develop and multiply normally, moisture is necessary. Therefore, insects are found in basements, containers with stagnant water and pantries, from where they breed. To reduce their number, experts recommend periodically checking the containers and changing the water. In specialized stores there are chemical compounds with which you can purify water from larvae.
3. Food. For normal development, pests require food. Males feed on plant nectar. Females require protein for development and reproduction. This is why mosquitoes drink blood during the gestation period. As a source of protein, blood-sucking pests choose people or warm-blooded animals.
4. The presence of enemies. Birds, reptiles and other animals that feed on insects can reduce the mosquito population. The number of blood-sucking insects is also reduced by people who use chemicals, insecticides and various devices for destruction.

If you create ideal conditions, then mosquitoes can survive the winter period. To do this, they fall into a peculiar state. Under real conditions, females live 40-50 days, and males - about 20 days.

Reproduction and stages of development of insects

Before you know how blood-sucking mosquitoes reproduce, you need to study certain facts. The oral apparatus of males does not allow them to penetrate under the skin and look for blood vessels. Their main food is the nectar of plants and flowers. They exist to mate with females and reproduce. Females require a protein that is present in the blood. This component is necessary for the maturation of eggs. The number of eggs depends on how much lymph the blood-sucking insect consumes.

The insect lays eggs 2-3 times a week. To do this, it flies up to a reservoir or container, and also dumps formed eggs. In order to save future offspring, the pest randomly moves and sheds eggs. They get on algae, moss and other plants. After that, birth begins. It includes the following stages:

• The egg resembles a kind of bubble in which air is present. Therefore, it hangs in the water. The larva appears in a week.
• The larva is similar to a worm. She has small brushes in her mouth, which are used to search for food, as well as filter water. Worms feed on small organic debris, algae and certain bacteria. To get a certain portion of air, the larva rises to the surface. After 14–21 days, pupae appear.
• The pupa resembles a tadpole. She does not eat. For 2–4 days, until wings and limbs appear, the pupa absorbs air.

How mosquitoes breed in a pond or in an apartment, how long it takes, depends on the conditions and the presence of natural enemies. If ideal conditions are created, then the number of squeakers is rapidly increasing.

Differences between midges and mosquitoes

Blood-sucking insects and midges live next to containers or water bodies. These places are used by them for laying eggs. But the midge lays about 1,000 eggs within 25-30 days. Therefore, it is problematic to deal with midges. To reproduce, the midge consumes a certain amount of blood. To do this, they violate the integrity of the skin. Due to the fact that the midge bites painfully, it interferes with normal rest for people near the river or near the house. Adult midges disappear immediately after laying eggs. After all, its main function is reproduction.

mosquito season

The blood-sucking insect breeds throughout the summer. But the maximum number of eggs is laid by the female pisk mosquito in July - August. After all, during this period, the duration of daylight hours is reduced and the level of humidity increases. Such conditions contribute to the normal development of midges, peeps and other blood-sucking insects.

Summer residents and owners of country houses are actively fighting pests from May to September. To do this, they use folk remedies, chemicals and insecticides, devices and devices. When selecting, people are guided by the size of the population, composition and method of use.

It is a very positive insect, then certainly little can be said positive about the hero of today's article - the mosquito. But you can say a lot of interesting things, for example, a mosquito is a very ancient representative of the fauna of our planet, these small flying bloodsuckers have bothered dinosaurs, and in our time they are no less annoying.

Mosquito: description, structure, characteristics. What does a mosquito look like?

The mosquito belongs to the order Diptera and the family of blood-sucking mosquitoes. Mosquitoes have been living on Earth for 145 million years.

The mosquito has a thin body from 4 to 14 mm in length. Mosquito wings are transparent, they reach up to 3 cm in diameter and are covered with small scales. The abdomen of a mosquito consists of ten segments. The mosquito's long legs end in two claws.

The color of a mosquito, in addition to the usual black or brown, can be very unusual, as green, yellow, orange and red mosquitoes are found in nature.

An interesting fact: among the large family of mosquitoes, there are also wingless species.

Also, mosquitoes have a kind of antenna, consisting of 15 parts, on which the olfactory organs and auditory receptors are located, working on the principle of a temperature sensor. It is with the help of such an antenna that the mosquito finds its prey.

How long do mosquitoes live

A very curious fact is that female mosquitoes live much longer than males, whose average life expectancy is only 17-19 days. The life expectancy of the female depends on the ambient temperature and can range from 40 to 120 days. True, given that it is female mosquitoes that suck blood, their life often ends prematurely ...

Where do mosquitoes live

Almost everywhere, with the exception of the always cold Antarctica, but these insects are most common in areas with a hot and humid climate, where they remain active throughout the year. In temperate latitudes, during the period of winter cold, they fall into hibernation, awakening with the advent of spring. It is interesting that even in the Arctic for those few weeks when it gets warm, mosquitoes breed with terrible force and are very annoying to the herds there.

What do mosquitoes eat

It is probably no secret to anyone that only female mosquitoes suck blood, while males are quite harmless creatures. Male mosquitoes feed exclusively on nectar or plant sap.

But for the reproduction of offspring, females need protein food, which they just get from the blood, both people and animals.

How does a mosquito bite

Sitting on the skin of their prey, female mosquitoes gnaw a hole in the skin with their sharp jaws, immerse their proboscis there, through which they suck blood. Simultaneously with the bite, a special saliva is injected into the wound, which prevents blood from clotting, it is she who causes an allergic reaction in the form of itching, redness of the skin and swelling.

Are mosquitoes dangerous to humans?

Yes, and it's not just swelling and unpleasant itching caused by mosquito bites, but the fact that many mosquitoes can be carriers of dangerous viruses and infections. Mosquitoes that live in the tropics of Asia, Africa and South America are especially dangerous, as they can be carriers of such dangerous diseases as malaria, encephalitis, yellow fever, Zika virus, West Nile fever, etc.

Enemies of mosquitoes

Of course, mosquitoes themselves have many enemies in natural conditions, so they and their larvae are a delicious delicacy for many insects, birds, fish and amphibians: newts, salamanders, dragonflies, spiders, water,.

It is also very interesting that mosquito larvae often feed on the larvae of insects such as the swimming beetle and dragonfly.

Difference between male and female mosquito

Mosquito male and female, what is the difference between them in appearance. First of all, in the structure of the oral organ - the jaws of the male are underdeveloped, because he does not need to gnaw through the skin in order to drink blood.

Types of mosquitoes, photos and names

In nature, there are a great many different types of mosquitoes, we will describe the most interesting of them:

Common mosquito (peeper)

It is the most common member of the mosquito family. It lives in a wide geographical range, it is these mosquitoes that often bother us during forest picnics, walks near water bodies, or even just at home.

Mosquito centipede (Karamora)

These mosquitoes live exclusively in places with high humidity: near water bodies, swamps, in shady thickets. They have large sizes for mosquitoes - they reach 4-8 cm in length. And also these mosquitoes are safe for humans, as they feed exclusively on nectar and plant juices, but can harm farmland and forest plantations.

Malarial mosquito (Anopheles)

Chionei (winter mosquitoes)

These mosquitoes look like both large spiders and weevils. However, they differ from both of them in their way of life. They differ from other mosquitoes in their ability to tolerate cold and therefore winter mosquitoes can be found even in winter.

Also known as mosquito bell. It is a harmless representative of the mosquito family, as it feeds exclusively on plant foods. It lives mainly along the banks of water bodies. It differs from other mosquitoes in its appearance - it has a yellowish-green color with long limbs.

mosquito breeding

The life cycle of a mosquito consists of four developmental stages:

• Egg: every 2-3 days, the female lays 30 to 150 eggs in the water, which mature in 2 to 8 days.
• Mosquito larva: emerges from the egg, then lives in the reservoir and feeds on the micro-organisms there. Breathe air through a special tube. During its development and formation, it goes through 4 molts, until it finally turns into a chrysalis.
• Pupa: its development also occurs in water and lasts up to 5 days. As it grows older, it changes its color, becoming black.
• Imago: is already an adult mosquito living on land.

First, the males fly out into the light, gathering in a swarm, they are waiting for the females to mate. After mating, the fertilized female goes in search of the blood she needs to lay her eggs.

How to get rid of mosquitoes at home

Sometimes mosquitoes have a bad habit of getting into houses, bothering people in every possible way. As a means of protection against mosquitoes, people have developed many means, among which special mosquito nets will be very useful, preventing mosquitoes from entering the house through open windows.

Another effective remedy for mosquitoes can be special repellents, substances that emit odors that repel mosquitoes, although their disadvantage may be the fact that the smells of repellents can have a bad effect not only on mosquitoes, but also on people.

As a folk remedy for fighting mosquitoes, a pot of geraniums is quite suitable, whose smell also repels these flying bloodsuckers.

• It was the mosquito that played a key role in the good old science fiction film Jurassic Park, through the blood found in the ancient mosquito that fell into amber, scientists were able to access the DNA of dinosaurs and thus “resurrect” these prehistoric pangolins.
• The flight speed of a mosquito is on average 3.2 km per hour, but skillfully using air currents, mosquitoes can fly up to 100 km.
• The weight of the mosquito is so small that once it hits the web, it will not cause vibrations and will not attract the attention of the spider.

Mosquitoes, video

And in conclusion, an interesting documentary film about one dangerous type of mosquito - "killer mosquitoes".

The process of procreation is an important part of the life of any living creature, and insects are no exception. How do mosquitoes reproduce? Probably, few people thought about this issue, and its subtleties are known only to biology lovers. Although this is quite an interesting process from the point of view of knowledge about the living world, which has its own characteristics and interesting facts.

Brief introduction to insects

Mosquitoes (other "official" names - real or blood-sucking mosquitoes) - from the point of view of biological classification, they represent the family Culicidae, defined as a group of Long-whiskers and a detachment of Diptera insects, which are characterized by sexual reproduction and complete transformation (metamorphoses from egg to adult: they will be discussed in detail later).

Adult female mosquitoes drink human blood and are part of the midges - a collection of blood-sucking insects, for which they deserve a strong dislike of people

Mosquitoes are small flying insects. The length of their thin and soft body y ranges from 4 mm to 15 mm. All representatives of the Culicidae family are characterized by the presence of long legs, which end in 2 claws for better grip on surfaces and stability, and narrow transparent wings, consisting of many Czechs. Their span ranges from 5 mm in the smallest species to 30 mm.

In tropical regions, there are real giants: for example, centipede mosquitoes, or caramora, in favorable conditions grow up to 10 cm in length, which is a record figure.

Most species of the Mosquito family have a nondescript color: gray, brown, yellow. Much less often (and mainly in southern countries) there are black or green specimens. The thoracic region of insects is wider than the abdomen. The long antennae necessary for the orientation of the insect in space are formed by 15 segments.

The mouth apparatus of a mosquito is of a piercing-sucking type. It is hidden in the lower lip of the insect, which is shaped like a tube. Inside it are sharp stylets of the jaws, similar to blades. They are needed to cut a microscopic hole in the skin, through which the sucking proboscis then penetrates to the layer of capillaries. At the same time, in females, it consists of piercing bristles, which are absent in males.

By the word "mosquito" people most often mean the peeping mosquito. It is he who annoys a person with his obsessive buzzing and painful bites.

In total, the Mosquito family has 3000 species, divided into 38 genera. Most of them live in southern countries with a tropical climate. Only 100 species are settled on the territory of Russia, representing 3 genera: real mosquitoes, biters and malaria.

The breeding process of mosquitoes

These are bisexual creatures, so a male and a female participate in the reproduction of mosquitoes. Future offspring go through 4 stages of development, which are characteristic of insects with complete transformation:

• egg;
• chrysalis;
• imago (sexually mature individual).

At the same time, insects are "land" creatures only in the very last stage of mosquito development: all the rest live in water bodies or in their immediate vicinity. After all, they need water to grow.

The reproductive system of mosquitoes

Representatives of the family have internal fertilization: after mating, the male's seed enters the female's genital tract, after which the formation of eggs begins. The genital organs of mosquitoes are located inside their abdomen: the ovaries in females and the testes in males. The microscopic external genital organs of the male have a very complex structure, the features of which are the key to distinguishing species that are outwardly similar to each other. Females also have a small ovipositor in the form of a short tube: through it, eggs are born.

"Marriage Games"

The type of mating of mosquitoes in the language of biology is called "eurygamy". Its peculiarity lies in the formation of a swarm - a dense cloud of male insects, keeping close to each other. Surely, everyone saw such flocks on summer evenings.

Female mosquitoes attract the attention of the opposite sex with a subtle buzz, like a squeak. This sound is created by the movement of the wings. Its frequency depends on the age of the individual, and males, with the help of their sensitive antennae, capture the slightest differences in sound, preferring more mature “girlfriends”.

When approaching a cloud of males, the female flies into it and turns out to be fertilized by the one who managed to do it first. To finish the job, the males have special appendages next to the genitals, with the help of which he keeps the female in a joint flight.

It is noteworthy that mosquito populations living in cities are characterized by stenogamy - reproduction without swarming, the implementation of which is difficult due to the lack of large and free space.

After a short mating, the male flies away from the female and returns to the rest. The female goes in search of the blood necessary for the continuation of the offspring.

Reproductive activity directly depends on the degree of saturation of the female with blood: with sufficient nutrition, she lays eggs every 2–3 days, after which she returns to the swarm of males again.

Eggs

Females each time make large clutches, which contain 30–150 mosquito eggs. The most prolific malarial species, producing about 280 pieces. The exact number is directly proportional to the amount of blood drunk by the female, which explains the aggression of insects towards humans.

Usually the female lays eggs directly on the surface of the water. To do this, she chooses freshwater, calm and stagnant reservoirs with a minimum flow rate. Ponds and quiet backwaters of lakes overgrown with reeds are ideal. More rarely, the mosquito lays on well-moistened soil along the banks or near temporary reservoirs that dry up in the summer and are refilled in the spring after the snow melts. Sometimes the female chooses floating objects and plants (this is more typical for the genus of Real mosquitoes, to which the well-known peeping mosquito is included).

Larva

Under favorable conditions, after only a few days, larvae enter the water from the lower end of the eggs. They look like small worms covered with hairs. The body color of mosquito larvae depends on the species. For example, in a piskun they are dirty gray, and in a twitch they are green or red. The latter are used in fishing and aquaristics, where they are known as bloodworms.

The larva and the pupa, which subsequently emerges from it, necessarily need a sufficient amount of air. Larvae of some species live at the very bottom of water bodies, buried in silt or mud, but every 15 minutes they must float to the surface to receive oxygen. Others can swim for a long time, curving with their whole body, on the very surface upwards with the “tail of the body”, because it is there that the respiratory organs of the worm are located - special tubes through which it breathes.

For the entire time of its development, which lasts an average of 20 days, the larva is waiting for 4 molts, after which it turns into a pupa. During them, she sheds her old exoskeleton, which allows her to increase in size more and more each time. For example, immediately after emerging from the egg, the length of the larva does not exceed 1 mm, and after the last molt it can reach 1 cm. At the same time, the body volume of the larva increases even more: almost 500 times.

chrysalis

Mosquito pupa - the penultimate stage of insect development has a more complex arrangement of internal organ systems. She also lives in the water and periodically floats to the surface, preparing to turn into a flying individual. The waiting time is approximately 5 days. Gradually it becomes dark in color.

The answer to the question of whether a mosquito has a chrysalis is positive, since this is an insect with a complete transformation cycle.

The behavior and nutrition of the larva and the pupa are almost identical, but the latter has one interesting feature: due to the shape and well-developed tail, they can move rapidly in the water column with jerky movements.

Imago

Imago is an adult insect that lives on land and participates in reproduction. Males live only 3 weeks, while females - 3 months if the air temperature is kept around 10-15 ° C. Under adverse conditions, life expectancy is reduced.

Reproduction is impossible without saturation of females with human blood. Therefore, mosquitoes are settled in almost all parts of the land where a person lives. They stay close to the settlements in order to be able to drink the blood of people at any time.

Each species has its own preferences in temperature and lighting conditions. Some like shady ponds, others like well-lit ones. Biologists have calculated that the larvae are able to develop when the water temperature is 10–35 °C, but between 25 °C and 30 °C is considered the most comfortable.

Mosquitoes rarely lay their eggs in large bodies of water in which many fish live, because they willingly feed on clutches.

The larva will die if the water is contaminated with oil products: they form a film on the surface through which the worms cannot breathe. But some species show an enviable adaptation, adapting to use the oxygen dissolved in water for breathing.

The process of how mosquitoes appear has been sufficiently studied by science. These insects are characterized by high fertility and feeding on human blood. Both of these features are directly dependent on each other.

Annoying insects that prevent you from sleeping peacefully at night, from the bites of which blisters remain on the skin, a characteristic itch appears - all these are tricks of mosquitoes. People are constantly fighting with them. There are various liquids, creams, sprays, plates and much more on sale. In order to exterminate the enemy, you need to know as much information about him as possible - how mosquitoes breed, what they need for this, what scares them away and what attracts them.

How is the process of reproduction

Mosquitoes need a pair to reproduce. As you know, only the female is a bloodsucker. In the process of evolution, her upper lip stretched out and turned into a thin, long proboscis with two stings. With their help, she drinks the blood of the victim. The male is a harmless creature. He does not have a proboscis, he feeds on plant sap.

A specific feature of mosquitoes is that during the breeding season, the diet of the female is blood. It contains the necessary substances for life support and breeding. At one time, the female can drink blood up to seven times her own weight. The more she consumes it, the more eggs she can lay.

Development cycles

Reproduction of mosquitoes is a complex process that requires certain conditions. These are sufficient blood consumption by the female, and the survival of larvae in water bodies, and optimal temperature conditions, and, most importantly, the constant presence of a water source.

After fertilization, the female lays her eggs on the water surface. It can be stagnant or low-flowing reservoirs. The main thing is that they do not dry out for a long time until the full development cycle of the mosquito occurs.

Eggs, fastened together, float on the water for several days. They do not sink due to surface tension. They feed mainly on bacteria and spores. Then the larvae hatch. They are easy prey for fish fry.

To ensure life, the larvae have a number of adaptations. The eyes are covered with a special case, the digestion process is provided by an intramuscular pusher. After the larva turns into a chrysalis, it develops fins and hairs on its abdomen. It is they who keep it on the surface of the water.

A complex process takes place inside the cocoon, the result of which is the appearance of an adult mosquito (imago). The skin of the pupa bursts, and first the head, then the chest, wings and limbs of the insect emerges through the gap. The first flight is made after the wings of the imago dry out and are ready to take off. They move to coastal vegetation.

After turning into an adult, mosquitoes are ready to mate and reproduce. The females start looking for prey. And the whole process is repeated again - from the egg to the adult adult. The entire development cycle is approximately from one week to a month. It all depends on the ambient temperature.

Reproduction of urban mosquitoes

Compared with rural "brothers", these winged insects have adapted to breed in unsuitable conditions for them. These are damp basements of houses, dirty rusty water, leaking sewer pipes. This makes the bites of urban mosquitoes more painful and allergenic. In apartments, if it meets at least the minimum sanitary standards and there is no constant dampness on the floor, they do not multiply. After all, they need a source of water to procreate. For this reason, they do not fly high.

Mosquitoes have learned to adapt to the environment. And from this, the population of their kind is not declining. In the basement, they mate without forming a swarm (in nature they breed only in a swarm). Females have adapted to lay eggs without being fully saturated with blood.

Knowing how mosquitoes breed and what conditions they need for this, you can significantly reduce their numbers. However, it is not worth completely destroying insects, since in nature everything is interconnected.