Page 27 - The Miracle in the Mosquito

fter mating, the female mosquito stores the sperm
in a special pouch and can lay the fertilised eggs
over a period of weeks. The female starts drinking
A blood from the time of mating, as blood is essential
for the development of the eggs.
On examination of these characteristics, the miracle in the
mosquito takes on a new direction.

The miraculous eggs that can halt their development
Animals are able to perform with surprising ease many
things that would seem impossible for man to achieve. For exam-
ple, a human pregnancy cannot be prolonged, but certain crea-
tures are able to do this. One such creature is the mosquito. Even
though the time to lay the eggs has come, some mosquitoes lay
their eggs not after the first rain, but after the second or third. This
prudence is a way of protecting the mosquitoes’ progeny.
There is an important reason for mosquitoes delaying the lay-
ing of their eggs. There is a high probability of the moisture and
puddles left by the first rain drying up in a short time. This means
that the larvae would be left on dry ground and so would be un-
able to develop. This is only a probability, but the mosquito acts as

though it has prior knowledge of this probability and behaves
with great wisdom. It is not taken in by the first rain, but waits for
the next downpour.
This situation brings several questions to mind:
How does the mosquito know that the moisture content of
the ground may not be adequate after the first rain and that the
puddles may dry up in a short time? In order for the mosquito to
take such a precaution, it should be aware of the effect of evapo-
ration and say to itself: “This is just the first rain and in time the
water in the earth and on its surface will evaporate, so I should

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