BIOGRAPHY OF A MOSQUITO

Manawatu Times, Volume X, Issue 1328, 23 October 1884, Page 4

BIOGRAPHY OF A MOSQUITO

Donahob's Magazine. \ If the mosquito were a very rare, insect, found only m some far off cduntiy, we should look upon it as one of the most curious of living creatures, I ' and read -its history with wonder — that an animal could live tWO BUch very different lives, one m the rwater the other m the air. We s.peak of the mosquito as if there were but one, while really there are over 30 different kinds, all, however, having similar habits, so that a description of one answers for all. The female mosquito lays her eggs upon the water. She forms a little bout, gluing the eggs together side by side, until she has from 250 to 850 thus fastened together. Tbe boat or raft is oval m shape, highest at the ends and floats away merrily for a few days The eggs then fiatcb, and the young mosquito enters the water where the early part of its life Bpent. You can find the young insects m this, their lartral stage, m pools of fresh water, or even m a tub of rain water which has been standing un* covered for a few days. They are called wrigglers, on account of the droll way m which they jerk about m the water. They feed upon "very minute creature?, and also uron decaying vegetable matter. Near the ,tail the wriggler has "a tube through which he breathes, If you approach the pool or tub quietly, you can see them m great numbers, headi down,' with their breathing tube above the surface. If you make the leaßt disturbance they will scamper down into deep water After wriggling about for two weeks, and changing their skin two or three times, the larva becomes a pupa. Tou know most insects m the pupa, state dp not move'; 'but take • a- sleep of greater or -less length; not co the" lively little; mosquito. ; Im its pupa state it become* a bigheaded creature which does not- eat ; it moves about quit«* rapidly, but not with the same wriggling motion, it now has a pairjof paddles at its tail end, and.takes m air ; through tubes m heaJ. In five or ten days the mosquito ends its life m the -water, and becomes a winged insect. The pupa comes to the surface and the skin cracks open on; the back, allowing first its he,ad ; and chestgjo -come fqrtti^ finally the legs, win|*s, 'W?d. the resfr This isk, • most trying moment m the life of the insect; if a puff of wind should up'eet ie before the winps are dry, it will [surely drown. "V.Only a small proportion of the whole'number huc> deed m safely leaving the :>upa case ; the r greater share of fhem become food for fishea. If. -the wings get fairly dry then the" insect can sail away humming its tiny song of glad* ness. How does it sing?\ Perhaps when you have. heard its note at night you did^ not stop to consider. It is a point which has puzzled naturalists, and it is not certainly known how the note is produced, but probably the rapid motion of the wings and the vibration of the muscles of.th e ejb'eTt. are both, con cer ned m it. t . The; most, int eresting $>art about the msect — the " business part," as some ope has called it- — is its stin£ or- sucker 1 - Tfiis. -is- not ' a simple, sharp-pointed tube,, but consists of 6 parts, which lie toge^ ther m ajsheath^and are used as one; How snarp these must be to go through our skin ' so easily ! Atter th« punctnre is made 1 , it "then acts ffs' 5 a sucker to draw" up the blood. "■] The insects ,. which visit us m the ftmale. "We rarely see the ; male mosquito. Blood ii not .'necessary to \h(E existence x>f' the rapßqjifto, agd, probably but a small share of them ever taste it. The countries) m which mosquitoes, live m "greatest numbers;— actual clouds— are ' ndt j inhabited, and there are but few j animals, ■'!;;; Mi