Page 32 - The Miracle in the Mosquito

THE MIRACLE IN THE MOSQUITO

CHARACTERISTICS OF MOSQUITO EGGS
Female mosquitoes can lay from 40 to 200 eggs at a time in
water. There are some that lay their eggs once every three weeks
and others that lay once a year. The mosquito eggs have different
characteristics according to where the species lives, the enemies in
that environment or dangers that may be encountered. Some are
very carefully packaged, some are packed tightly into a space, and
some are supported with air pillows to prevent them from sinking.

Camouflage expert eggs
Once the eggs leave the mother’s side they are left totally de-
fenceless. At first, because of their bright yellow colour they are
motionless preys, easy to spot. A great number of enemies await
them.
But mosquito eggs have an important characteristic. The
colour of the eggs, which are laid at night, turns to black at first
light. In this way they are well camouflaged from insects and
birds.
At the larval and pupal stages of some species of mosquito,
such as the anopheles, they are able to change colour to fit in with
their environment. So if the larva is put in a black or white envi-
ronment, it immediately takes on the colour of that environment.
Naturally neither the egg nor the larva, or even the mother
mosquito who has gone through these stages, has any knowledge
of this colour change. The mosquito larvae have absolutely no idea
that there are enemies around them, that the mother has left them
and that they are alone and defenceless. But this situation doesn’t
pose any problems for them, because they have been created with
the most suitable form of defence, as well as their other needs be-
ing met. The pigments in the outer layer of the eggs or larvae are
activated by sunlight and camouflage themselves by growing
darker.

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