Why mosquitoes prefer to bite certain people but not the other? On this research, I want to focus on mosquito-human ‘relationship’ and not on mosquito-other animals ‘relationship’.
From the article Why Mosquitoes bite, several reasons include:
- Some people produce more of certain chemicals in their skin. And a few of those chemicals, like lactic acid*, attract mosquitoes.
- There’s also evidence that one blood type (O) attracts mosquitoes more than others (A or B).
- Your metabolic rate, or the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) your body releases as it burns energy.
- Mosquitoes have problems flying in even a slight wind, and so they keep close to the ground. They spot hosts by comparing your silhouette to the horizon. Dark colors stand out, while light shades blend in.
- Lots of motion distinguishes you from your surroundings.
P.S. If you haven’t known it, only female mosquitoes suck on blood. The male mosquitoes survive by feeding on flower nectar and sweet juices.
Mosquito Life Cycle
1. Eggs
Female mosquitoes lay eggs about every third day during their lifespan, usually in clumps of 100 to 300 eggs. The eggs are deposited either as “rafts” floating on the surface of standing water or on the ground in areas that regularly flood. Mosquitoes can lay eggs in as little as one inch of water. The eggs, generally white when laid, cannot hatch unless they are in water, usually for two to three days.
- An Aedes mosquito can lay eggs about three times in its lifetime.
- On optimal condition, an Aedes mosquito egg can hatch within less than 24 hours.
2. Larvae
When the eggs hatch, the larvae emerge. They are called “wigglers” because that’s how they swim. Most of the time, they hang from the surface of the water, breathing through tubes. The wigglers feed on organic matter in the water, shed their skins four times over about a week, and develop into pupae. Larvae are the easiest to kill, using oils that block their breathing or bacteria that poison them.
3. Pupae
The pupae are called “tumblers” for the way the fall into the deepest part of the water when threatened by predators. They are shaped like commas, partially encased in cocoons, with the head at one end and tiny flippers at the other. The pupae do not feed while developing, but breathe through tubes like the larvae. It takes about four days for the the adult mosquito to emerge.
4. Aduls
The newly emerged adults climb out of the water to rest and wait for their bodies to dry out. The males will take a day or two to fully develop their reproductive organs, then seek out a female, by the sound of her wingbeats, for mating. They’ll live about three to five days after that, feeding on fruit and plant nectar. The females mate once, but continue laying eggs after every blood meal. Under the best conditions, they can live up to a month or two.
- According to NEA, the average lifespan of an Aedes mosquito in Nature is two weeks.
Anatomy of mosquito
Mosquitoes are relatively small insects, measuring an average of just more than 6 mm long and weighing about 2.5 milligrams. They’re divided into three basic parts: the head, thorax and abdomen.
1. Head
The head is crammed with sensory equipment that help the mosquitoes find and feed on people and animals.
2. Compound eyes
They have two large compound eyes covered with tiny lenses called ommatidia that are capable of detecting even slight movement. On the top of their heads, they also have ocelli, simple photosensitive eyes detect variations in light.
3. Antennae
Their antennae, long feathery organs, jut forward from their heads and contain sensitive receptors that detect carbon dioxide in human breath from distances of more than 100 feet. The maxillary palp between the antennae pick up the odor of ocentol and other chemicals released in human sweat.
4. Proboscis
Right in the middle, also between the antennae, is the proboscis, a long serrated mouth part used to pierce the skin and suck out blood. The proboscis holds two tubes, one that injects saliva containing an anti-coagulant and mild painkiller, and a second that actually draws the blood.
5. Thorax
The thorax, or what you might think of as the torso, is connected to the head. A pair of wings and a pair of halteres, small wing-like organs used for steering, sprout from the thorax. The legs also come out of the thorax, six in all, with tiny claws at the end of each to help the mosquitoes stay attached to surfaces.
6. Abdomen
The abdomen hangs from the thorax and serves as the mosquitoes’ stomach and lungs.
7. Spiracles (?)
Small openings called spiracles line both sides of the abdomen, allowing the mosquitoes to draw in air. The abdomen holds the blood that female mosquitoes take in, and a nerve in the abdomen signals when it is full. A female’s eggs are also stored in the abdomen.
Scientists use small differences in the shape and coloring of the abdomen, as well as in the length of the maxillary palp and wings, to identify the various species of mosquito.
Additional info on dengue from cnn
- is produced in metabolism and in muscles during exertion.
- Lactic acid, along with ammonium bicarbonate, is used in the Lurex brand mosquito attractant.
- C6H12O6 (glucose)+ 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + Energy released
C6H12O6 
2 C3H6O3 (lactic acid) + () Energy [lactic acid creates oxygen debt]
Other sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquito#Eggs_and_oviposition
This Natural Bug Repellent Works Better Than Deet
http://www.mosquitoworld.net/
