Like all insects, mosquitoes have three body segments (head, thorax and abdomen) and three pairs of legs
(see Figure 1). Each species of mosquito has different traits, which can only be seen under a dissecting microscope.

The anatomy of a female mosquito is quite different from that of a male. In most species, the male antennae are much hairier than the female antennae (see Figure 2) , and are often described as "plumose" (i.e., feathery). In contrast, females possess antennae that are sparsely covered with hairs.

Prior to mating, the males locate females of the same species by using sound receptors on their hairy antennae to listen for the wing-beat frequency. (Different mosquito species make different sounds when flying.)

After mating, female mosquitoes then seek a blood meal so that they can use the blood proteins to develop a batch of eggs. Females use their sensory receptors on the antennae to detect odours, heat and even sounds. They detect the carbon dioxide in our exhaled breath using receptors found primarily on their palps (mouthpart appendages used for touching and smelling). Other odour receptors and heat receptors are found on their antennae. Taste receptors are found on the tip of the proboscis (elongated mouthpart for tasting and blood-feeding) and on the bottoms of their feet.

Figure 1

In Figure 1, the outermost part of a female's proboscis is slightly retracted to show the inner stylets. When we are bitten, it's the inner stylets that are used to pierce our skin, inject an anticoagulant (anti-clotting chemical) and extract blood from us.

Aside from using her proboscis to feed on blood, a female mosquito also feeds on sugar such as floral nectar to gain energy for flight. Males, on the other hand, do not blood-feed because they don't have the sharp stylets needed to pierce the skin and instead get their energy from sugar feeding only.

Figure 2

Female mosquitoes are of medical and veterinary importance because in the process of blood-feeding they have the potential to transmit several diseases. In Africa, they are responsible for transmitting malaria, while in North America they are known to transmit several forms of viral encephalitis, dengue, yellow fever, dog heart worm and of course West Nile virus (WNv).

Images by Kirsti Kivinen

May 2005

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