ETYM Spanish mosquito, from moscafly, Latin musca. Related to Musket.
Any fly of the family Culicidae. The female mosquito has needlelike mouthparts and sucks blood before laying eggs. Males feed on plant juices. Some mosquitoes carry diseases such as malaria.
Human odor in general is attractive to mosquitos, also lactic acid in sweat and heat at close range. Peoples' varying reactions to mosquito bites depend on the general allergic reaction and not on the degree of the bite; the allergic reaction is caused by the saliva injected from the mosquito's salivary glands to prevent coagulation of the host's blood. Natural mosquito repellents include lavender oil, citronella (from lemon grass), thyme, and eucalyptus oils.
Two-winged insect whose female has a long proboscis to pierce the skin and suck the blood of humans and animals. + prikaži više