Man's Worst Friend - The Mosquito Quiz

Answer: Phantom midge

The superfamily Culicoidea contains four families - Culicidae (mosquitoes), Chaoboridae (phantom midges), Corethrellidae (frog-biting midges) and Dixidae (meniscus midges). The mosquito family is by far the largest and most diverse of the four families, with over 3,500 distinct species of mosquito having been identified.

Phantom midges are also called glassworms due to their almost completely transparent bodies. During their early stages of development, phantom midges use their mantis-like antenna to draw in prey for feeding.

Answer: Imago

The four stages of the mosquito lifecycle are the same as those undergone by all other true flies. The first stage is the egg stage. Most mosquitoes lay their eggs in stagnant water, with the eggs forming rafts before the point of hatching. The second stage is the larval stage, which also takes place in an aquatic environment. The pupae of mosquitoes are known as 'tumblers', akin to the word 'chrysalis' to describe the pupal phase of butterfly growth.

After the pupal stage (typically somewhere between five and 14 days), the fully-fledged imago of the mosquito takes flight. Some species live as little as a week in this final stage, while others can survive for several months.

Answer: Proboscis

Not all mosquitoes want to drink your blood! It is typically only female mosquitoes that bite humans and take their blood, with the nutrients in the blood being used for the development of eggs. The proboscis of the mosquito is the part capable of piercing the skin in order to draw blood.

The scutum is one of the larger sections of the mosquito thorax, while the cercus is located at the rearmost point of the abdomen. Mosquito antennae are divided into many segments, and are sensitive to both chemical and acoustic stimuli.

Answer: Commensalism

The pitcher plant involved in this commensal relationship is Sarracenia purpurea, or the purple pitcher plant, found across much of Canada and some of the United States. As the plant traps and digests flies, spiders and moths for its own benefit, the larva of Wyeomyia smithii feeds off of this decaying matter.

Another example of commensalism is between the remora (a fish), and larger marine animals. The remora is specifically adapted to be able to attach itself to sharks, whales and rays, thus allowing it to move faster and gain access to food. The larger animal is usually unaffected by the presence of the ramora.

Answer: False

Mosquitofish are actually so-named because they themselves feed on mosquitoes, rather than the other way around. More specifically, mosquitofish feed on mosquito larvae, rather than the fully grown imago form. While they have been introduced in several areas to help control mosquito populations, mosquitofish are now considered a 'noxious pest' as they deprive other animals of the mosquito larvae that they would normally eat.

Despite these fish feeding on mosquito larvae, mosquitoes do occasionally get their own back. It is not unheard of for a mosquito to feed on fish, such as mudskippers, when some portion of their body is exposed above the surface of water.

Answer: Proteins

All mosquitoes feed from sources other than blood-sucking. Most mosquitoes get the sugar (carbohydrate) they need for energy from nectar or a similar source. Whilst male mosquitoes subsist entirely on nectar, female mosquitoes require extra nourishment to develop their eggs. Blood typically has a very high protein concentration, with the most common protein being serum albumin.

Answer: Aedes aegypti

Also known as the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti is actually involved in the transfer of many different diseases. In addition to the lyre-shaped marking on the thorax, Aedes aegypti can be recognised by the white stripes on their legs. Genetically-modified, sterile, Aedes aegypti mosquitoes have been produced in the laboratory in order to try and control their population in some areas.

Aedes albopictus also have black and white striped legs, but this pattern extends to their entire body. They are involved in the transfer of many of the same diseases as Aedes aegypti. Culex modestus is a species that has been shown to bite both humans and birds, and thus has the potential to spread diseases between the two. Culex annulirostris is also known as the common banded mosquito, and is found in Australia, Indonesia and other island countries in the region.

Answer: Vector

When discussing the spread of diseases, a vector is anything that can introduce a disease into an organism. As mosquitoes are blood-sucking parasites, they are a textbook definition of a disease vector as they feed on many different individuals. For example, if a mosquito feeds on a person who has malaria and then goes and bites another person, there is a reasonable chance that the malaria will be transferred from the first person to the second.

Answer: Yes

There are several factors that may make you more likely to be bitten by certain mosquitoes, such as having type O blood, breathing heavily while you sleep, and being pregnant. In fact, the likelihood of being bitten has been shown to be something that is passed down genetically.

Answer: Play some white noise on your phone speakers

Whilst there are many sound-based devices available to buy that supposedly keep mosquitoes at bay, they have not been scientifically shown to work. The best strategy is just to not let them get to your skin, something that both a bug screen and a mosquito net should achieve.

In addition to screening methods, spraying your clothes with an insecticide can also be effective. Permethrin is a fairly potent insecticide that will kill mosquitoes that come into contact with it. However, as with all chemicals, permethrin should only be used in a way that is advised when purchased.