Tuesday 7 September 2021

Considering That Mosquitoes,

can transmit Zika virus, West Nile virus, Chikungunya virus, dengue, and malaria to humans,


is there such a thing as a beautiful mosquito? photograph alapi973/Flickr, well I guess that there is if you look at Sabethes cyaneus, a tropical breed of mosquito that can certainly be called eye-catching, found in the tropical forests of central and South America, the Sabethes mosquito is an elusive breed famous for its iridescent blue colour and feather-like paddles formed by elongated scales, located on the tibia of each middle leg,

“The mosquito responds to the tiniest of movements and to changes in light intensity,” wildlife photographer Gil Wizen recently told BBC. “This means you must stay very still while attempting to photograph it, and also be prepared for the mosquito’s escape if using a flash. Fortunately, you are never alone with a single mosquito, because usually there are dozens of them hovering over your head.” like in the more than 3,300 known species of mosquito in the world, only the females blood-feed, only they only do it when they are about to produce eggs. The rest of the time, they feed on nectar. Whenever they feed, the hind legs arch forward, not as a pose, but because the legs are sensory, they detect movement and allow the insect to flee in case of danger, despite its undeniable beauty, it’s worth remembering that the Sabethes is still a mosquito, therefore a vector of tropical diseases like yellow fever and dengue fever, beautiful perhaps, but deadly!


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