What do males and females eat mosquitoes

What mosquitoes eat, the question is not only of nature lovers, experts, but also of an ordinary inhabitant of the planet. With the onset of warm days, almost everyone thinks about protecting their body, home, pets from blood-sucking insects. Since in order to defeat the enemy, you need to know his weaknesses, it is advisable to study the taste preferences of parasites.

Power Features

Mosquitoes eat human blood - a known fact. However, this is not the only source of nutrition, due to which insects breed, multiply and live in wild nature. The basis of nutrition is sugar.

The differences between the female and the male mosquito in nutrition are insignificant. Both sexes of different ages consume sugar of plant origin, honey dew, less often nectar. Male mosquitoes feed exclusively on these “products”; a female mosquito needs human or animal blood. This feature gives an answer to the question of who the male or female bites.

Energetically, blood and nectar are interchangeable products. They support vital energy, improve reproductive functions, and make the life cycle complete. However there are different types of mosquitoesthat feed mainly on nectar or are addicted to blood.

Interesting!

Female common swamp mosquito or squeaky blood is required to be able to lay eggs. Without this “product”, the female continues to live in the swamp, in the basements, but does not have the opportunity to extend the genus. Females live about 56 days, depending on weather conditions, the male mosquito dies soon after fertilization, the life cycle is only 10 days.

Plant Sugar Nutrition

To replenish vital reserves, insects choose certain plants:

• tansy;
• burdock;
• yarrow.

Most of all they love tansy; 10 individuals are collected on a flower at once. Interesting fact about mosquitoes published by foreign researchers: preference for plant foods give virgin females. There were no more than 45% of pregnant women. Fructose has a beneficial effect on the body of insects, so they need plant food.

Blood supply

What gender mosquitoes circle over a person, animals, it is easy to guess. Males are not interested in this type of food, therefore, they always keep far from a person. The female drinks blood determines the presence of the victim by radiated heat, the smell of carbon dioxide, which is released during exhalation.

Female mosquitoes feed on the blood of wild animals in the forest, in the countryside - cattle, humans. In the city, the main food source for females is the blood of people and pets. Whether mosquitoes bite birds has been determined in the laboratory. Insects bit mice, birds, cats, dogs. A female weighing 3 mg at a time can eat about 5 mg of blood.

In order for the female to stay for a long time near the main power source, some conditions must be met - the presence of places with high humidity for laying eggs. In the wild, these are swamps, an area near rivers, lakes with stagnant water, and large puddles. In the city there are cellars.

On a note!

Females eat, in addition to blood, plant foods, the presence of two sources of nutrition is the key to a long life - 56 days.In the apartment, insects can find blood for procreation, but they will not find the nectar that is required to replenish energy reserves. Under such conditions, the female lifespan is reduced.

External differences between males and females

Determining who irritates the human nervous system, circling the body, is not difficult at all, for this there is no need to even consider mosquito under the microscope. Since males are not interested in blood, they stay away from humans. A mosquito with a furry mustache is a female individual, which thanks to its “antennas” easily determines the location of the victim.

The female mosquito looks unattractive. The size of the mosquito is from 4 to 14 mm. Transparent wings are covered with small scales, reach a span of 3 cm. Body structure represented by a wide chest and abdomen of 10 segments, which are supported by long legs. The limbs end with sharp claws that allow them to cling to any surface.

The usual color of the mosquito is gray, brownish in color. In view of the fact that the insect has a translucent cover, food is translucent. A red, orange, green, yellow tint appears. They can bite thanks to special jaws, they suck blood with their proboscis, they secrete enzymes during bloodsucking, which is why mosquito bites accompanied by itching allergic reaction. Some representatives have brushes on the tips of the paws, antennae. There are wingless species.

The male mosquito looks almost the same as the female. A significant difference is observed in size. The elongated body is about 5 mm. The color is always gray, brown or greenish. The oral apparatus, underdeveloped jaws are different, which does not allow the insect to bite through the skin of an animal, a person.

Important!

Due to the fact that mosquitoes feed on blood, they are classified as dangerous insects. Parasites spread diseases, some of them are very dangerous. An example of this is fever, borelliosis, lymphatic filariasis, tularemia, malaria, if the offender is malaria mosquito.