UK Safari Home Page
   A Website for Anyone Interested in the
   Wildlife and Countryside of Britain

Nature Photo

 Home | Animals + Nature | Nature Shop | Photography | Members Area | Latest News | Advertise | E-Cards


 

Free Newsletter

NewsletterSent to you
by e-mail

Simply enter your details and hit the send button
more info

Your name

e-mail address  



Search
 

First Visit?
Click Here


Explore More


Links
Advertise
Terms of Use
Contributors
About Us
Contact Us

 

Go back Go Back  |  Bookmark Add to Favourites  |  Print Page Print Page  | E-Mail Us Tell us what you think of this page

Fly Mosquitoes

Mosquito - Photo © Copyright 2006 Gary Bradley
Photo: G. Bradley

UK Safari Tip:
Try using one of our special pocket-sized magnifier boxes to get a good close up look at mosquitoes and other insects - click here

Latin name: Culex pipiens

Size: Approximately 8mm long

Distribution: Found throughout the UK.

Months seen: All year. Most frequently from June to October

Habitat: Always near water, including ponds, ditches and water butts.

Food: Larvae feed on tiny organic particles in the water. Adults will feed on animal blood.

Special features: There are over thirty different species of mosquito found in the UK, and they can easily be confused with similar non-biting insects. The main features to look out for are the long pointed proboscis, and the wings, which are held folded and flat when at rest. The males have bushy antennae.

They make a high-pitched buzzing  sound as they fly.  The noise is created by their wings which beat through the air around 500 times a second.

The females need a blood meal before they can lay their eggs, which is why they bite humans. They're attracted by the carbon dioxide given off as we breathe.  They also commonly take the blood of frogs and birds.

The eggs of the mosquito are laid in still water in batches of up to 350. Each female can lay up to six batches in one season.

Click for a better viewThe larvae are aquatic, and float just below the surface of the water, allowing their breathing tube to draw in oxygen.

There are two main groups of mosquitoes; the Anophelines, and the Culicines. The larvae of Anophelines float horizontally just under the surface of the water, while the larvae of Culicines hang vertically just below the surface.


Click for a better viewAfter about seven to ten days the larvae pupate into little comma-shaped creatures. They hang tail down below the surface of the water and breathe through two tubes on the top of the thorax. After about five days the adult mosquito emerges.


Did you Know?
The mosquito is the most dangerous animal on the planet to mankind. It is responsible for killing millions of people each year, and has killed around half of all the humans who have ever lived. In warmer countries mosquitoes can transmit malaria, parasitic worms, yellow fever and other diseases.


Track Down More Info

UK Safari Creepy-Crawlies Section










 © 2006 G. Bradley. All Rights Reserved