Mosquito

The most dangerous animal in the world

There are about 2,500 species of mosquitos in the world and 51 of them occur in Sweden.

Appearance and characteristics

Mosquitos belong to the insect order diptera. Behind the two wings are a couple of small club-like pivots - halteres. These transformed wings vibrate back and forth very quickly and work in the same way as gyroscopes and are the balance organs of the mosquito.

When the mosquito changes direction, the angle changes for a while between the halteres and the mosquito's body. Sensory organs at the halteres' insertion point signal all movement changes to the mosquito's brain, thus keeping track of the body's position in the air.

The most characteristic with mosquitos, the proboscis, is extra well developed in the females who are the only ones who suck blood.

Feeding and catching

With the saliva that the mosquito female inject into the blood to prevent it from clogging, many infectious agents and parasites can be transmitted to humans and animals. About 700,000 people die each year of diseases transmitted by mosquitos. In addition, many of the survivors suffers life-long sickness and disability. This makes mosquitos the most dangerous animals on Earth.