1. What is the most deadly animal in the world?
The Mosquito

2. Cool Jobs: Sucking up Science with Mosquitoes

3. Interesting Facts about Mosquitoes
Live on every continent except Antarctica
Only females drink blood (used to feed their eggs)
They take blood from mammals, birds, reptiles and even fish

4. Interesting Facts about Mosquitoes
Millions of people die each year from diseases transmitted by mosquitoes
Very little is known about the biology of mosquitoes
This article contains 4 important findings about mosquitoes

5. 1. Mosquitoes cool their bodies by “peeing” blood
They need to avoid overheating when they drink up warm blood
They release droplets of blood out of their abdomen when drinking the blood
The droplet hangs off the abdomen and then cools in the air
Then they suck the blood back into their abdomen
Thermographic image of mosquito (blue is blood hanging off body)

6. 2. They have two mouth pumps used for drinking
Males and females drink nectar
Females only drink blood
They have a very thin (human hair thin) drinking straw
Mosquitoes have 2 mouth pumps (butterflies only have one)
Dual pumps allow them to:
Drink slowly and continuously
Drink a lot quickly
Mosquitoes x-rayed to see mouth pumps

7. 3. Mosquitoes can smell and remember danger
Mosquitoes will learn to avoid certain people or animals if they have been hurt by them before
Holding mosquitoes near a “dangerous” smell

8. 3. Mosquitoes smell danger: the Experiment
Group of mosquitoes where placed in a box containing a single human scent
Mosquitoes where shocked by electricity 10 times (to stimulate by hit but not killed)
Mosquitoes where then put in a Y shaped maze the next day

9. 3. Mosquitoes smell danger: the Experiment
Same mosquitoes were put in a Y shaped maze the next day
On one end of the Y there as the same human scent and the other a new human scent
Most mosquitoes went to the new human scent only Y

10. 4. Mosquitoes can be “living syringes”
Scientists can remove mosquitoes from a home and test the blood for diseases
Can help track and diagnose diseases
Use a gentile vacuum. Cannot where bug repellent so ended up with diseases like Dengue and Zika
Scientist with mosquito sucking vacuum

11. Why did I find this interesting?
because of the unique ways mosquitoes have been specialized to take blood from animals
Because mosquitoes are so dangerous in transmitting disease

12. The article and pictures used in this presentation was found in:
science-mosquitoes

13. Any Questions?