All About Mosquito Facts

Author:
sharkarama
Updated:
Jan 18, 2024 10:27 AM EST

There's much more to mosquitoes than you think. Read on for some interesting mosquito facts.
Photo by Shardar Tarikul Islam on Unsplash

The Annoying Mosquito

When most people think of mosquitoes, they think of that annoying mosquito sound and that even more annoying mosquito bite. Believe it or not, there is much more to mosquitoes than you think—and you're about to learn all those mosquito facts!

Mosquito Anatomy

If you're like most people, you're so busy swatting when you see a mosquito that you've never had the time to examine one. At a glimpse, mosquitoes look like angry little critters that want nothing more than to suck your blood and make your itchy skin miserable. While that might be true in a sense, here are some of the mosquito facts you may have missed while you were busy trying to kill that dreaded mosquito.

Mosquito Facts

The three main parts of a mosquito are its head, its abdomen, and its thorax.
A mosquito has two eyes that make up the majority of its head. Each eye is filled with little lenses so it can see from multiple directions at once—making it difficult to swat that dreaded mosquito.
A mosquito has one pair of wings coming off its thorax.
A mosquito has six legs.
Upon close inspection, a mosquito's abdomen has distinct markings that make it possible to tell which species it is.
Mosquitoes are approximately 16 millimeters long.
The average weight of a mosquito is about 2.5 milligrams.

Did you ever notice any of those mosquito facts before? If not, you'll be sure to notice them the next time you hear that annoying mosquito sound!

Male mosquitoes are slightly smaller than females.

Mosquito Gender Roles

You may think all mosquitoes are out to get you, but that's not true. Similar to other insect species like the praying mantis, only female mosquitoes are a threat to humans. As you read through the differences between female mosquitoes and male mosquitoes, be prepared for some surprises!

Male vs. Female Mosquitos

Both male and female mosquitoes eat flower nectar for nourishment.
Female mosquitoes bite humans and animals so they can receive protein. This protein helps them lay eggs, thus bringing more blood-sucking mosquitoes into the world.
A female mosquito has a ridged proboscis to pierce human and animal skin. Because of the serrated edges of her proboscis, her bite usually goes undetected until the itchiness sets in.
A male mosquito has a proboscis, but it does not have ragged edges for biting.
Male mosquitoes are slightly smaller than females.
Only female mosquitoes make that annoying mosquito sound that puts you on red alert.

It's amazing to see the difference gender can make, isn't it? Now you can rest at ease when you see a mosquito that doesn't make noise and only save your jumping for those pesky females that love to buzz before they bite.

Garlic mosquito repellant is fairly effective.

Mosquito Control

The most important mosquito fact that people usually want to know is how to get rid of that dreaded mosquito in the first place. There are many mosquito control products on the market, but you should certainly keep some tips in mind before you go on a mosquito prevention shopping spree!

Mosquito repellant lotion and mosquito spray can certainly keep mosquitoes from biting you, but you must be sure to reapply often if you are outside in a highly populated mosquito area.
Mosquito fog can help reduce the number of mosquitoes on your property, but this is not the best solution for the environment.
Mosquito sprays (especially aerosol ones) are effective, but they are bad for the environment.
Garlic mosquito repellant is fairly effective.
Mosquito net fabric can be used to surround your bed, gazebo, or favorite chair. Just remember that the second you step out from under the fabric, you are at risk again.
Mosquito zappers may be popular, but they very rarely capture mosquitoes.
Mosquito traps such as Mega-Catch can lure and trap mosquitoes using UV lighting, C0₂, octenol, and heat.

No matter what type of mosquito prevention and control methods you use, remember that the best mosquito trap is the kind that is as effective as it is safe for you, your family, and the environment.

Mosquito History and Origin

Even though your first instinct when you see a mosquito is to kill it and make it history, you may be surprised to learn a bit about the real history of mosquitoes. Here is a quick tutorial on mosquito evolution and history:

Mosquitoes were around in the Jurassic era when dinosaurs ran free.
Scientists believe that mosquitoes originated in South Africa and eventually spread to the rest of the world.
Mosquitoes have evolved to the point where there are approximately 2,700 different species of mosquitoes.
Ancient mosquitoes were up to three times larger than today's mosquitoes.
The word mosquito means "biting fly."
Some cultures associate mosquitoes with reincarnations of dead people.

Mosquito Feeding Facts

Have you ever felt like a mosquito went out of its way to bite you? If so, there's a good chance you were right. Here are some of the reasons a mosquito may choose to target you:

Random Mosquito Facts

As irritating as they may be, mosquitoes can be quite fascinating—as long as they're not biting you.

When female mosquitoes drink blood, they purify the blood in their systems and leave a small puddle of urine on their victim's skin. That is why when you first get bit, you may notice a small wet spot surrounding the bite.
On average, female mosquitoes drink from 0.001 to 0.1 millimeters of blood per feeding.
Even though they seem to move quickly, the average mosquito can only fly up to 1.5 miles per hour.
Mosquitoes cannot fly too high; they fly somewhere between 25 and 40 feet up in the air.
Most mosquito species can only fly about 300 feet before they need to rest.
Mosquitoes from salt marshes can fly up to 40 miles for their next meal.
When a mosquito flies, it flaps its wings between 400 and 700 times per second.
Mosquito saliva has some of the same ingredients as rat poison.
Any fans of mosquitoes can go to the annual Great Texas Mosquito Festival, where mosquitoes are honored in the strangest of ways.

There you have it. Mosquitoes too often are only known for their bites, but now that you've read these mosquito facts, you know much more about mosquitoes than you ever thought you would. So remember your trivia, tell your friends, and the next time you see a mosquito, be happy that you can at least be more knowledgeable as you swat it.

This article is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.

Comments

Cordelia on May 25, 2020:

I LOVE this plase!

OKAY on April 21, 2018:

I AM SO scared of them l had to do an exam and it totally freaked me out

Benjamin Bui on June 21, 2017:

A lot of information I ❤️ IT!!!

AAmir on April 14, 2017:

Moskito have one heart but it's divided a three valves tubes one is tohrex in head and other is abdominal and last is in tail.

Lakhdar on December 21, 2014:

It's body heat, smells, color's you wear and even what you eat.My body must give off a lot of heat besuace I can be around 6 people and they always swarm around me the most .:(

Mikaela on May 29, 2014:

I'm mikaela! I'm allergic to them! I can't be out side latter than 7!:( I hate them so much!✋✋✋

valerie on June 29, 2013:

what kind of acid is a mosquito afraid

anonymous on November 03, 2012:

no offence but firstly, everyone knows these facts, and secondly, EVERYONE KNOWS THESE FACTS!!! what do you think we are? nine year olds?!

erza scarlet on September 12, 2012:

wow!!! it"s so cool

i know i can share this to my friends

joe on July 15, 2012:

what colour should i wear around mosquitos

Kelly A. Kline from USA on July 01, 2012:

Any truth that we can repel mosquitoes with a B1 or Thiamine patch?

I dont care on May 31, 2012:

Just kill them

sierra on May 16, 2012:

mosquitos just take ur blood i dont think its nice at all & i also think mosquitos should be plant eaters instead of blood sucking vampires.........

roberto@capetown-concierge.com on April 06, 2012:

Mozzies are crap, find a product that kills them without harming the enviroment and I'll be the agent for the African Continent, get ready to make the big dollar!!

anabelle on March 07, 2012:

mosquitoes are awesome! people don't hate on mosquitoes we can carry diseases and spread them too! every animal deserves to be loved!

@J on February 23, 2012:

the reason 4 the red bumps is an allergick reaction 2 their saliva

lilly & rose on February 19, 2012:

we don't like masquitoes at all we are ellergic because are sisters

Mathys on February 12, 2012:

mosquitoes are flies.

miguil garcia on January 26, 2012:

moscitos they bite people like if the moscitos are like vampairs.

Dr. Gil Stav on December 06, 2011:

Mosquitoes are attracted to women more than to man because of the estrogen. But, when most women get pregnant and the level of estrogen goes higher (too high), the mosquitoes are not attracted to these women any more. Women that have normally low estrogen level may get bitten more by mosquitoes when they are pregnant because they have now in their blood the level of estrogen that attracts mosquitoes.

For more information go into:

http://howto-getridof-mosquito-bites.com/

Dr Gil Stav on December 04, 2011:

For more information go into:

http://howto-getridof-mosquito-bites.com/

Gil

madhu on November 13, 2011:

why does mosquito produce sound?

kara on November 03, 2011:

i never thought about mosquitoes this way:^)

Dr. Gil Stav on October 18, 2011:

There is a lot of good information in this site.

You may want to add that the knowledge that mosquitoes can transfer diseases is no longer than 150 years. First scientific publications about it appeared in the early 20 century.

For more information go into:

http://howto-getridof-mosquito-bites.com/

yeoy on October 10, 2011:

hello. my nama borat. i lika sex. it is niiiicee :))) go sexy timee

kreel racin on October 09, 2011:

thanks.

this website makes me well known about mosquito.

ganimat saggu on September 28, 2011:

it is very interesting to know facts about mosquitoes that we see in our daily life...........

ashley on September 21, 2011:

hi gtyjyukhk hyukyumku

Matthew on August 28, 2011:

The sharkarama user is obviously an account created by some guerilla marketing company hired by mega catch, or a mega catch employee. Although it appears that you've included some genuinely helpful information, truly unbiased opinions never include brand na,e recommendations, or at least suggest more than one. If you want the internet to trust you, you have some things to learn.

NSikan Peter on August 12, 2011:

How does Mosquitoes Tranfer Malaria Parasite to an uninfected person?

liam maguire on June 14, 2011:

i love them that's my brother

I on May 03, 2011:

1- Do any one know that mosquitoes have 100 eyes.

2- And have 3 hearts

3- Can see you during the dark with UV teqniq.

4- Have blood analyses system.

5- It drug you to inject and the pit you feel that after suke the blood, not during suking, that is why you can not catch Mosqituo during pitting you.

And there is alots fact about Mosqituos a lot not all pepole know about.

I on May 03, 2011:

Do any one know that mosquitoes have 100 eyes?

ron2lytii on April 04, 2011:

cool stuff, but i hate mosquitoes, my best enemy!!

Kite on February 26, 2011:

Nice advertising you've slipped in, very clever. I'd really appreciate some citations for your facts, especially blonde women. So white people are more prone, even though mosquitos are attracted to dark coloring? Hmm.

mozajerry on February 20, 2011:

this is the most trivial bit of pseudoscience drivvel i have read for a while

Mosquito Tube on October 29, 2010:

Not if it's in a giant piston getting crushed into goo like it deserves.

Mosquito Tube on October 10, 2010:

I thought of a great way to study mosquitoes. Here's the experiment: You take every mosquito in the world, put them ALL into an extremely large plexiglass cylinder, then lower a flat piston vented with air-permeable mesh onto the mosquitoes until they begin to compress, then keep increasing the piston pressure until the mosquitoes are crushed into goo, all while being videotaped through the plexiglass. Hypothesis: the video will be posted on YouTube and the world shall rejoice. (We'll even dub in some foley of what we think mosquitoes getting crushed would sound like, just to make it more enjoyable for everyone.) Little jerk-faced mosquitoes all DYING; now THAT'S mosquito science.

Mona on September 27, 2010:

Nice article on mosquitoes.

One thing i would like to add up to this, did you know the scent of lemon grass oil keeps your home off mosquitoes?

Anyways, good work, keep it up.

Ghillie0Sniper from Alberta on August 13, 2010:

holy! nice hub.. lol thanks!

EVA ROYAL RED on August 13, 2010:

Mosquitoes r insects not animals, 2 the comment that their 'dangerous animals, we must protect ourself from them.' people r dangerous animals, simple & quite banal. mosquitoes serve a purpose of life & balance. very interesting info. gotta love bugs:)

Erik on August 10, 2010:

This stuff is cool, but I'm still going to kill them every chance I get.

randy on August 09, 2010:

Is there any citations that can be used to back up or confirm these facts?

anonymous on August 09, 2010:

I feel that a few of these facts are inaccurate

I mean: "Mosquitoes are more attracted to women than to men" and "If given the choice, mosquitoes would usually rather drink blood from a blonde"

OSWALd on August 05, 2010:

I sleep with a radio turned on and I am of the view that the sound of music repels mosquitoes. I sleep uncovered and bare from the waist up and although other people in the household, in other rooms complain about being bitten by the insect, I don't, once the radio is turned on. I would like scientists to develop my findings.

tammy on July 12, 2010:

why blondes

Anonymous on June 20, 2010:

Technically Bismark,

Mosquitoes are INSECTS!

Emily on June 07, 2010:

Great site. Thanks. next time i try ti swat them away i wont move :P i have a bite on my cheek and many more!!!!! all i want to do is itch but i just use white vinigar and its gone no more itch!!!!! :D enjoy

m connor on March 06, 2010:

i still don't understand the point of mosquitoes

Bismark on December 24, 2009:

mosquitoes are deadly animals. we must protect ourselves from them.

chong li ti on August 11, 2009:

you can put more picture on it

person on May 24, 2009:

Cool!I got some more facts for my report! That video was kinda wEIrd but still.

mozziemaid on April 21, 2009:

I thought it was only gentlemen who preferred blondes!

Great site.

Mosquito Guru on February 16, 2009:

Disease information is covered by another article here: https://hubpages.com/health/Mosquito-Diseases

Rhym O'Reison from Crowley, Tx on March 20, 2008:

Facinating. There is a lot of info I didn't know here, but I noticed you didn't mention the diseases that can be transmitted by mosquitoes, like Dengue Fever, Malaria and West Nile Virus. Those are big reasons to protect ourselves from mosquito bites.