Mosquito pic
Dear Bugman,
Browsing your site, I see no picture of a mosquito. This one my son, Andrew, shot in Alaska in June, just south of Denali. This Alaska State Bird specimen was on the screen of our screen house, and had just munched on our Golden Retriever. We used a Linolool mosquito inhibitor to kep our sanity during this trip- they confuse the critters, and they fly around like they’re drunk, and don’t tend to land on you.
Ruth in New Mexico

Hi Ruth,
We were a little late in posting your fabulous photo, but we now have an illustration on our Mosquito page.

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Dear Bugman,
I was wondering if you can tell me what purpose that mosquitos serve. We all know that bees are for pollination and that ladybugs eat aphids but what purpose does the mosquito serve in the insect world. This is something I have tried researching all to no avail.

Dear Steve,
You are forcing me to get philosophical. Charles Darwin, though he is primarily known for his theory of evolutionism, also was intrigued by the complex interactions of organisms within the universe. Eliminate one species from the equation and the delicate balance could be forever overturned, setting into play the destruction of life as we know it. Now I’m not saying that if mosquitos were obliterated, everything would die, but they do serve as an important link in the food chain. Dragonflies, swallows and many fish are dependant upon the lowly pestilence known as the mosquito for their existance. Eliminate the mosquito and the swallows might no longer return to Capistrano or any other place for that matter. They serve a purpose, and just because we don’t know exactly what it is, does not lessen that purpose.

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To whom it may concern:
I am in desperate need of assistance in identifying mosquitoes. I am doing a Science Fair Project and have created a new trap to capture mosquitoes. But I would like to know what I cought. I cannot tell for sure if they are all mosquitoes, or also midges, possibly Punkies/ "no-see-ums".
I have done a lot of research and am unable to find how to identify them and would greatly appreciate some expert advice. I went to the International Science Fair last year and know that good research and information is critical.
Also, if you know of, or how I could find what kind of mosquitoes are in my area please let me know. I live in Louisville (northern) Kentucky. From my research I know that the 2 main types of mosquitoes around here are Aedes and Culex, but I don’t know specifically if it is Aedes Aegypti or Culex molestus, etc.
Please respond quickly so that I can continue my research. I would sincerely appreciate any help offered.
Thank you,
Margaret Ann Stewart

Dear Margaret,
I am going to quote directly from Field Book of Insects by Frank E. Lutz. pp 239-240 since he is the real expert.
Culicidae
Everyone knows a Mosquito, or thinks that he does. The proboscis of the female is fitted for sucking but the male’s mouthparts are so rudimentary that he cannot "bite." His antennae are very plumose. The larvae are aquatic. They are the "Wrigglers" such as most of us have seen in standing water. Owing to the medical interest in mosquitoes they have been extensively studied. The following, among other, subfamilies ( or families) have been recognized.

1.–Proboscis, even of females, short, not fitted for piercing. Wings hairy, scaled only at margin. Mesosternum without ridge. Sternopleura divided by transverse suture. Corethrinae. The transparent, predacious larvae use their antennae in capturing prey. They get their oxygen by absorption from the water. The eyes of these Phantom Larvae are dark. The two other pairs of dark spots are "air sacs." I do not know how the air, if it be real air, gets into them. The pupae float upright and have respiratory trumpets on their heads.
Proboscis much longer than head; the female’s fitted for piercing. Wings fully scaled. Mesosternum ridged.

2.–Palpi of female at least a third longer than the proboscis. Abdomen sometimes without scales. Scutellum crescent shaped, with marginal bristles evenly distributed. –Anophelinae.
Not so.

3.–Scutellum evenly rounded. Clypeua much broader than long. Calypteres not ciliated. Day-flying, not biting Megarhininae.

Scutellum trilobed, with marginal bristles only on the lobes.

4.–Base of hind coxae in line with upper margin of lateral metastenal sclerite, a small triangular piece between bases of middle and hind coxae. Day-fliers.–Sabethinae. The larvae of Wyeomiyis smithii live in the water in pitcher plant leaves.
Not so.–Chiefly Culicinae (anal vein extending well beyond fork of cubitus) but also Uranotaeniinae.
The eggs of Anopheles are laid singly, each having a lateral "float." The larvae are rarely found in foul or brackish water. Unlike Culicinae, the breathing siphon on the end of the abdomen is very short and a resting larva floats horizontally. Adults usually have spotted wings. They are to be feared because they may be carrying malarial "germs" which they sucked in along with the blood of a former victim. If so and if the malarial organism had worked its way from the mosquito’s stomach to its salivary glands, the mosquito biting us is likely to infect us with malaria.
The many species of Culicinae have been divided into genera on technical characters. Most of what we called Culex are now Aedes. The tropical A. aegypti (also called Stegomyia fasciata) carries yellow fever and dengue. Such Tropical diseases as dengue and filariasis are carried also by other Culicine females. The eggs of Culex are laid in a floating, raft-like mass; those of Aedes singly. The salt-marsh mosquitoes with banded legs are Aedes. The larva of Taeniorhynchus (=Mansonia) perturbans sticks its breathing siphon into the air-chambers of aquatic plants instead of coming to the surface to breathe.
So Margaret, as you can see, taxonomy is rather complicated, and I didn’t even get into midges and punkies. Good luck with your science project.

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