A Mosquito larva at 100x magnification. These larvae are often called "wigglers" or "wriggletails" because of the way they wiggle their tail to move down from the surface of the water. The large conical structure on the "tail" (which is actually the end of the abdomen) is the "snorkle" or breathing aparatus. It has 3 flaps at the end which open when the larva is at the surface, it closes when it dives.
A Mosquito pupa at 100x magnification. While in the pupa stage, the mosquito can move, but it doesn't eat. The large compound eye, the piercing mouth, and developing wings can be seen in this photo. I photographed an image projected on a table top by a projection microscope.
Diptera August 13, 2007 While I was taking pictures of the ladybug pupa I felt something on my leg, I looked down and saw this mosquito getting ready to bite me. I had been wanting a photo of a mosquito for this gallery, so this was the only time I have ever wanted a mosquito to land on me! Had I not squashed her after taking this photo (I do have my limits!), she would have probed around with her mouthparts in search of a capillary under my skin. Her mouth has 6 small needle-like stylets for injecting and drinking. Once she located a capillary she would have injected an anticoagulant to keep my blood from clotting, then she would have proceeded to drink her fill. The problem with mosquitoes is that they can spread diseases such as Dengue Fever, West Nile Virus, Yellow Fever, Heartworm, Malaria and Equine Encephalitis from infected animals and people. Malaria is not a problem in the U.S., but it is widespread in the warm third world countries. It is spread from person to person through the bites of mosquitoes. Only the females bite, they need a protein-rich blood meal to nourish their eggs which will be deposited in standing water. I guess I need to change the water in my birdbath more often! Unfortunately, the white stripes on the legs are not visible in this photo, that is a good indicator of this species of mosquito. (See next photo to see the stripes)
