Mosquito biting machine

Images made through a microscope. All subject types.

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Pau
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Mosquito biting machine

Post by Pau »

This imago of Aedes aegypti female emerged from a pretty putrid pond water sample. It is an invasive specie not frequent in my area, so I didn't want to allow it flying free.

1- First I portrayed it inside a glass covered Petri dish with the Nikon AZ100, Plan Apo 1X (1.5X on sensor)
IMG_0013modBR.jpg
After dying I opened the external proboscis (labium) longitudinally to show the biting retractable inner proboscis (labrum + maxila)

2- internal and external proboscis (DIC 10X Pl Fluotar, 25X on sensor)
TrompaAdedesE-1modBR.jpg
3- internal proboscis: both parts make what seems a micro mouth although it is a much more sophisticated drilling machine (DIC 16X Pl Fluotar, 40X on sensor)
TrompaAedesE-02 DMapCorrBR.jpg
Sorry for the poor images

Much better images and info at scientific sources like: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/The ... _325223613
Pau

rjlittlefield
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Re: Mosquito biting machine

Post by rjlittlefield »

This is really nicely done!

The article at researchgate is no longer online.

But in searching, I found https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/06/07/480653821/watch-mosquitoes-use-6-needles-to-suck-your-blood which has nice accessible detail about the structure and some of the function of the inner proboscis.

What motivated my search was the live female mosquito in my kitchen this morning. Given the difficulty of studying these beasts, I think I'll just admire other people's photos!

--Rik

Adalbert
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Re: Mosquito biting machine

Post by Adalbert »

Hi Pau,
Very nice :smt041
BTW, I have tried to take some photos of the proboscis too:
viewtopic.php?f=27&t=43812
Best, ADi

Pau
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Re: Mosquito biting machine

Post by Pau »

Adi,
your mosquito study is excellent, I didn't see your two proboscis details pictures that are really at another level ( viewtopic.php?p=276428#p276428 )
Pau

Robert Berdan
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Re: Mosquito biting machine

Post by Robert Berdan »

Very interesting photos - I had the opportunty to study the probosics with an SEM as well - the fine hairs are interesting.
Cheers
Rob

Pau
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Re: Mosquito biting machine

Post by Pau »

Thanks Rik, ADi and Rob for your kind comments!
Pau

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