How do mosquitoes find their prey?

Have you ever been bitten by the mosquito? Or got disturbed during your sweet sleep by mosquito bite, or you find yourself as their favourite food? Have you ever thought how they find you in such a dark place or even in unknown place? Let us get our answers today.

Mosquito:

• The word mosquito is a Spanish word that stands for the meaning of little fly.
• Mosquito belongs to the kingdom Animalia with phylum Arthropoda and superfamily culicoidea.
• The external features of mosquito include a segmented body with a pair of wings and a pair of halteres along with a three pair of long- hair like legs and elongated mouthpart.
• Majority of the species of mosquitos feed on the blood of the host.
• Host can be any vertebrates such as birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, fish and some of the invertebrates also.

How do mosquitos find their prey?

• Mosquitos can find their prey through multiple methods.
• The first method can be by detecting the carbon dioxide exhaled by their prey.
• Mosquitoes has the ability to detect carbon dioxide breathed out by their pry. It can help them to locate the prey.
• The other way can be by using their sensory organs such as vision and smell.
• They can also locate their prey by using their sense organs to find out other information related to their prey.
• The other information can be such as body odour, body heat, perspiration. [Perspiration is the ability of sweating of a body].

Fun Facts:

1. Even though we are frustrated with every single mosquito we find in our way, however only female mosquitoes are known to bite.
2. The average life span of a mosquito is said to be less than even two months.
3. Mosquitoes have a very old history, they are known to be on Earth from above 400 million years.

Related Questions:

1. What are the different type of mosquitoes?
2. Which other host mosquito relies upon for their survival apart from human being?
3. Write about the life cycle of a mosquito.

True or False:

1. The word mosquito is a Latin word.
2. The word mosquito means a big fly in English.
3. Mosquito belongs to the kingdom plantae.
4. Mosquito can sense its prey by hearing the sound.
5. Mosquito are known to feed on the blood of their host.

Objective Quiz:

1. Mosquito stands for the meaning of _______.
   1. Little fly.
   2. Giant fly.
   3. Big fly.
   4. Tiny fly.
2. Mosquito can feed on the prey such as ________.
   1. Mammals.
   2. Reptiles.
   3. Amphibians.
   4. All of the above.
3. Mosquitoes consist of a _______ of a long hair like legs.
   1. A pair.
   2. Two pairs.
   3. Three pairs.
   4. Four pairs.
4. Mosquitoes can sense their prey’s _______.
   1. Body odour.
   2. Body heat.
   3. Perspiration.
   4. All of the above.
5. Mosquitoes can detect _________ breathed out through their prey.
   1. Carbon dioxide.
   2. Oxygen.
   3. Nitrogen.
   4. Hydrogen.