Page 57 - The Miracle in the Mosquito

Phases of Development

The mosquito overcomes difficulties
Just before emerging from the cocoon, the pupa takes a breath
and expands. This expansion causes the cocoon to split, starting
from the head. This is an important detail, because if the splitting
started from the bottom rather than the top, the mosquito would
not come to the surface of the water and would drown.
At this stage, the mosquito preparing to emerge faces great
danger. If water got into the splitting cocoon, it would mean the
end of the mosquito. However, the necessary precautions have al-
ready been taken to prevent this danger. The head of the splitting
cocoon is covered with a sticky substance that prevents the head

of the mosquito from coming into contact with the water. This flu-
id, in common with the fluid already used by the animal in the
“snorkel,” is water-repellent. If it were not for this special liquid in
the head region, the splitting cocoon would fill with water. The
mosquito’s wings and body would get wet and it would sink to-
gether with the cocoon.
That’s not the only danger the mosquito faces when emerg-
ing from the cocoon; new difficulties await it. Let’s give some
thought to the situation of the mosquito as it attempts to extract it-
self from the tight-fitting cocoon enclosing it: If it loses its balance,
the cocoon may turn upside down. The mosquito may come into
contact with the water as it emerges and get wet. Both possibilities
would mean death by drowning for the mosquito.
The pupa continues to breathe. As the lightest breeze may
cause it to get wet and consequently die, the mosquito chooses a
moment when the wind drops to come out of the pupa. Then it

slowly puts its head and front feet out of the cocoon. Resting its
front feet on the surface of the water, it pulls the rest of its body out
of the cocoon floating in the water. At this point, it is easy to see
how the mosquito was created with perfectly designed feet. On

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