As we get ready for this trip, we need to think about all of the animals we might encounter in the jungle. Most of the animals will be harmless, like sloths, macaws, and tapirs. However, we do need to be careful about other animals like anacondas, spiders, and mosquitoes.

Mosquitoes may not seem too scary, but we are doing a lot to be prepared for them. An interesting thing about mosquitoes is that the have the ability to carry and transmit diseases. Mosquito-borne diseases, such as malaria and yellow fever, have plagued civilization for thousands of years. Organized mosquito control in the United States has greatly reduced the incidence of these diseases here, but they do not control mosquitoes in Peru.

We have been doing many things to prepare for these bugs. Each person is bringing personal bug repellent and clothing that will cover their entire body. Long pants and long sleeve shirts may seem too hot for the rainforest, but they are great for bugs! In addition to this, we are bringing hammocks fully enclosed in mosquito netting and soaking all of our clothing in Permethrin. This is a solution that is supposed to repel mosquitoes for over one month.

While mosquitoes may be annoying, they are also an important part of the food chain.. If mosquitoes were to disappear completely, animals that eat them might have trouble getting enough food. The list of mosquito eaters includes frogs, bats, birds, and fish. Even as disease carriers, mosquitoes have a natural function. They work to keep populations of other animals in check.

Sheer diversity alone makes mosquitoes worthy of attention. Around the world, there are about 3,000 species. Some have longer legs or antennae than others have. Some are colored differently. One type has shiny blue legs. Another type has black and white stripes on its legs.

Cool Mosquito Facts

• An adult mosquito can live as long as 5 months. It may take several months for a larva to develop to the adult stage in cold water.
  
• An adult female mosquito weighs about 2.0 milligrams.
  
• An adult female mosquito takes in about 5-millionths of a liter of blood in a single meal.
  
• A mosquito wing beats from 300 to 600 times per second.
  
• Male mosquitoes find female mosquitoes by listening to the sound of their wings beating. The males can actually identify the correct species by the pitch of the female's wings.
  
• Mosquitoes can fly about 1 to 1.5 miles per hour.
  
• A mosquito can detect the carbon dioxide you exhale from about 60 to 75 feet away.
  

www.sciencenewsforkids.org
www.rci.rutgers.edu

Jesse