Do you think all mosquitoes are gray, buzzing and ruining a person's vacation? Not at all. There are more than 2,500 varieties of these insects in the world.
Not all types of mosquitoes drink human blood. Some of them prefer to "hunt" for horses and birds, others prefer the blood of frogs and lizards, and there are those that feed only on the blood of dragonflies. And some types of mosquitoes do not drink blood at all. The colors of these insects are also very different. The view of Sabetes from the Real mosquitoes family is stunningly beautiful. It has an emerald-azure color, and the paws of these mosquitoes are decorated with fluffy brushes. The splendor and brightness of the outfit is just right for the environment: sabetes are found in Paraguay and Guiana. There are species of mosquitoes of bright red, piercing orange, yellow-black. However, they are not found in Russia. Mosquitoes are very fond of heat and humidity, so the greatest variety of species is found in the tropics. Species of mosquitoes in Russia are represented by only 120 names. Most of all in our country, mosquitoes from the genus Anopheles. They are found everywhere except the Far East, and are the distributors of malaria. We can alsoencounter harmless Tipulidae, biting Culicidae and some other non-bloodfeeding families.
Species, genera and families
Mosquitoes are the closest whiskered relatives of flies. They are found almost all over the world. You can not meet mosquitoes except on the territory of permafrost. All types of mosquitoes (their photos can be found on specialized resources) can be divided into just a few families:
- Mosquitoes are real. This family of Culicidae is often referred to as bloodsuckers or culicids. The females of these species of mosquitoes feed on blood (not necessarily human), while the males feed on nectar. Perhaps because of their addiction to intoxicating nectar full of vitamins, males usually look larger and differ from females by huge mustaches. The color of these species of mosquitoes can be any: it all depends on their habitat.
- Tipulidae, or centipede mosquitoes, cause panic in most city dwellers. They suddenly fly in through the window and hang under the ceiling or, jerking their long legs, or ridiculously fly out of the grass. Yes, yes, it is they who are completely undeservedly called malarial mosquitoes. In fact, weevils are the most harmless types of mosquitoes. Part of their family feeds exclusively on dew or nectar, while the other … does not take any water or food at all. They don't even have a trunk. The larvae of these mosquitoes have a huge mouth with which they gnaw the roots of plants with pleasure. Adults are not very fast, so they often become prey for birds. In order to save their lives, the weevils leave the enemytheir leg, but fly away alive. If you see such a mosquito circling above the grass itself, almost touching the ground with its belly, know that this is a female laying eggs.
- Family Butterflies represent a very unpleasant species. These are mosquitoes - small, fluffy blood-sucking creatures that can infect humans with leishmaniasis or mosquito fever. These severe diseases can still be found in Asia, Africa and other countries with a tropical or subtropical climate. Fortunately,
- Family Midges, or Simuliidae, represented by 1500 species. They bite painfully, live in or near running water.
- Chinger mosquitoes are known to many fishermen as "bloodworms" - they don't bite.
mosquitoes are not found within Russia. This family also includes completely harmless butterflies. These species of mosquitoes got their name because of their strong resemblance to tiny fluffy butterflies.
There are also thick-bodied mosquitoes, biting midges and gall midges, mushroom mosquitoes and lemonides, fruit and earth mosquitoes. Each family contains thousands of species. Each of them has its own habitat.
