Mosquitoes are a common insect in our lives, and their bites can cause us itching and discomfort, and may even spread some dangerous diseases. We may feel disgusted and fearful of mosquitoes, but have you ever wondered where mosquitoes come from? What is the purpose of their existence?
Origin of mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are a very ancient animal, their ancestors date back to the Cambrian period more than 500 million years ago, predating the dinosaurs. At that time, mosquitoes had not yet acquired the ability to suck blood, but like other insects, they relied on the sap of plants or the feces of other organisms to survive.
When mammals began to emerge and mosquito ancestors began to evolve, then their style began to drift off the rails.
The ancestors of mosquitoes first evolved in present-day South America, then gradually migrated north to the ancient continent of Laoya, and then south to the tropics. The ancestors of mosquitoes are about three times the size of the extant species and are closely related to the family Phenoidae.
Species of mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are a species of the order Diptera, belonging to the mosquito family, and there are more than 3,500 species of mosquitoes known at present, distributed on all continents except Antarctica. The body of the mosquito is divided into three parts: head, thorax, and abdomen, and the body and legs are elongated.
The size varies depending on the species, but most are less than 15 mm. Body weight is about 2-2.5 mg. There is only one pair of wings, and the other pair degenerates into a balance rod. The flight speed is about 1.5 to 2.5 kilometers per hour, a single flight can last 4 and a half minutes, and the average mosquito flies about 594 times per second when the wings vibrate.
The mouthparts are stinging and sucking, specialized into slender beaks, and the mouthparts of most species of female mosquitoes are suitable for stinging and sucking blood. The surface of the mosquito body is covered with scales of different shapes and colors, so that the mosquito body has different colors. This is one of the important bases for identifying mosquitoes. There are also scales on the wing veins, and marginal scales on the hind edge of the wings. Most of them are nocturnal animals.
Mosquito species can be divided into different genera and subfamilies based on their habits and characteristics, among which the most well-known are three genera, which are the genus Aedes, the genus Aedes, and the genus Spotted Mosquitoes.
Mosquitoes: Mosquitoes of this genus are the intermediary hosts of Plasmodium parasites in the unicellular protist kingdom, and their female mosquitoes are easily recognizable in a slanted and inverted posture with their heads very close to the skin. There are 400 species of members of the genus Mosquito worldwide, of which 85 transmit malaria.
House mosquitoes: Mosquitoes of this genus are the most common species, and their females have a horizontal blood-sucking posture and a head slightly off the skin, making them less easy to spot. There are more than 1,000 members of the genus Household Mosquitoes worldwide, some of which can transmit Japanese encephalitis, West Nile virus, filariasis, etc.
Spotted mosquitoes: The mosquitoes of this genus are the most dangerous species, and their females have a curved posture of sucking blood and their heads are far from the skin, making them easy to notice. There are more than 950 species of the genus Spotted Mosquito worldwide, some of which transmit dengue, yellow fever, Zika virus, chikungunya, etc.
The role of mosquitoes
Although mosquitoes have brought a lot of trouble and harm to human beings, they also have their own meaning and role in existence. Mosquitoes are an important part of nature, and they play a variety of roles in ecosystems, such as:
Mosquitoes are a food source for many animals, such as fish, frogs, lizards, dragonflies, spiders, bats, birds, etc., without mosquitoes, the food chain of these animals would be affected and even lead to the extinction of some species.
Mosquitoes are pollinators of some plants, such as daffodils, orchids, lilies, etc., their pollen will attach to the body of the mosquito, and when the mosquito flies to another flower, it will carry the pollen over and complete the pollination process. In this way, mosquitoes promote the reproduction and diversity of plants.
Mosquitoes are carriers of some microorganisms, such as Plasmodium, dengue virus, Zika virus, etc., which can parasitize the body of mosquitoes and transmit these microorganisms to humans or other animals when mosquitoes suck blood. Although this is a hazard to humans and animals, for these microorganisms, it is a way of survival and an evolutionary driving force.
Mosquitoes are animals that people love and hate, they bring us a lot of trouble and pain, but they also have their own value and role. Mosquitoes are a part of nature, and together with other organisms, they form a complex and balanced ecosystem.
We should not deny the existence of mosquitoes because of our subjective feelings, but we should respect and understand them, and at the same time take some measures to prevent them from causing us too much harm.