For some people, insects are a precious jewel, but for some, they are pure menacing pests! As for myself, I take a balanced point of view, for example, insects like bees, dragonflies and butterflies are apples in my eyes since they are both useful members of the animal kingdom and the plant kingdom by spreading pollen from flower to flower and let beautiful flowers to grow in to fruit and let other bigger animals to feed on those fruit.
On the other hand, black fies and mosquitoes are a bunch of blood-sucking fiends that feed on blood like vampires, and like vampires, they are relentless and very durable for their own existence. Well, perhaps I'm a little harsh on them, since at least in the mosquito world, only the females suck blood in order to have protein for the next generation, while the males only take liquids, like nectar, from plants.
Although mosquitoes don't fly as fast or as far as eagles, but mosquitoes can fly at about 1 to 1.5 miles per hour, of course each species are different from another, as much as mosquito species preferring to breed around the house, like the Asian Tiger Mosquito, have limited flight ranges of about 300 feet. Most species have flight ranges of 1-3 miles. Certain large pool breeders in the Midwest are often found up to 7 miles from known breeding spots. The undisputed champions, though, are the saltmarsh breeders - having been known to migrate up to 100 miles in exceptional circumstances, although 20 to 40 miles are much more common when hosts are scarce. When caught up in updrafts that direct them into winds high above the ground, mosquitoes can be carried great distances,
Smaller species found around houses commonly weigh about 2.5 milligrams, the largest ones can weigh at a thumping 10 milligrams!!
While feeding to repletion, mosquitoes can imbibe, which means drink, up to anywhere from 0.001 to 0.01 milliliter of liquid.
And as much as I hate those tough little bastards, they still have their uses on dear old Earth, mosquitoes still have their uses which still fill a variety of places which nature provides. As such, placing a value on their existence is generally inappropriate. Although the fossil record is incomplete, they have been known from the Cretaceous time, which is about 100 millions years ago, in North America. Their adaptability has made them extraordinarily successful, with upwards of 2,700 species worldwide!! Mosquitoes serve as food for a variety of organisms but are not crucial to any predator species.
Just a bit of a food for the mind, what if we wipe out the whole mosquito nation? Wouldn't that be nice? Well, sadly, that won't be as nice as it sounds. because other species from mother nature will take up their spot and the new ones can be a lot meaner, tougher and much more unpredictable.
Now you might as, "Hey, Tammy, so what is the lifespan of a mosquito?", well, it all depends on the species, but most females live from 2 ~3 weeks, and some, which might hide in a warmer place, like in a garage or an attic, can live as long as 6 months.
By the way, do you know how high mosquitoes can fly up to? Generally speaking, mosquitoes that feed off humans prefer to fly at heights of less than 25 ft. Asian Tiger Mosquitoes have been found breeding in tree holes over 40 feet above the ground. In another country, like in Singapore, they have been found in apartments soaring 21 stories above ground. And in other cases are even more astonishing is those buggers are even found a way to breed up to 8,000 feet in the Himalayas and 2,000 feet underground in the minds of India!!!
All and all, they are really tough as nails!!
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