A
mosquito (
Ochlerotatus notoscriptus shown) feeding on a human arm. Mosquitoes have
mouthparts that are
adapted for piercing the skin of plants and animals. While males typically feed on
nectar and plant juices, the female needs to obtain nutrients from a "
blood meal" before she can produce
eggs. In some of the 3,500 species of mosquito, the females feed on humans, and are therefore
vectors for a number of
infectious diseases.
Photo: JJ Harrison