34 Interesting Mosquito Facts

By Karin Lehnardt, Senior Writer

Published June 6, 2019Updated August 3, 2019

Only female mosquitoes drink blood. While both male and female mosquitoes feed on nectar, the female uses the protein in blood to help her eggs develop._[5]
Police in Finland found a dead mosquito in a car that had been stolen. They tested the blood inside the mosquito and used it to identify the car thief._[4]
There are over 3,500 species of mosquitoes, 175 of which are found in the United States._[5]
West Virginia has the fewest species of mosquitoes (26); Texas has the most with 85._[6]
In Africa, New Zealand, and Australia, mosquitoes are often called Mozzies._[5]
It would take about 1.2 million mosquito bites to drain all the blood from your body._[7]

No one really likes getting up close and personal with a mosquito

The word "mosquito" is Spanish for "little fly."_[7]
A mosquito can drink up to 3 times its weight in blood._[5]
At temperatures less than 50 degrees F (10 degrees C), mosquitoes hibernate until warmer weather returns._[5]
Male mosquitoes live about 10 days, while female mosquitoes live about 2 months._[6]
Female mosquitoes can beat their wings up to 500 times per second. Male mosquitoes identify female mosquitoes based on their wing-beat frequency._[5]
The top speed a mosquito can fly is about 1.5 mph (.7 meters pers second)._[5]
Most mosquitoes can't fly very far—no more than one to three miles. Most stay within several hundred feet of where they hatched._[5]
While some mosquitoes have been found as high as 8,000 feet in the Himalayas, most mosquitoes prefer to fly below 25 feet._[5]
Mosquiotes have special receptors on their antennae that can detect the carbon dioxide that birds and mammals exhale. The CO2 acts as a trail that mosquitos follow to find their prey._[5]
Mosquitoes show a preference for beer drinkers._[7]

If you don't think a small act can make a difference, try going to sleep with a mosquito in the room.

- Julie Foudy

Mosquitoes have been around for about 210 million years._[5]
Mosquitoes do not transmit HIV._[5]
Because darker colored clothes absorb more heat than lighter clothes, and mosquitoes are drawn to heat, people who wear darker clothes will get bitten more often than those who wear light colors._[5]
Fish and dragonflies are the two main mosquito predators. Mosquitoes make up less than 1% of a bat's diet._[7]
When male and female mosquitoes meet, their buzzing synchronizes to the same speed._[5]

Male mosquitoes have feathery antennae that help them sense a potential mate's wingbeats

The itchy bump you get after a mosquito bite is from the female mosquitoe's saliva. The saliva creates an allergic reaction from the body's immune system._[5]
A 2004 drought in Kenya created a worldwide outbreak of the mosquito-borne illness chikungunya. While the disease hasn't yet reached the United States, scientists believe it's just a matter of time._[5]
Mosquitoes are considered the deadliest animal in the world because it transmits malaria, which kills over 700,000 people every year, mainly in Africa._[5]

Globally, mosquitos kill over 700,000 people every year

Mosquitoes avoid some people. Scientists are examining these people's sweat to develop repellents._[5]
Mosquitoes aren't all bad. Scientists built a less-painful hypodermic needle based on the design of a female mosquito's proboscis._[5]
To find their victims, mosquitoes use body odor, temperature, movement, and exhaled carbon dioxide._[3]
Female mosquitoes actually stab two tubes into the skin when they bite. The first tube injects an enzyme that prevents clotting, and the second tube sucks the blood._[3]
Humans are not the first choice for most mosquitoes; they actually prefer birds, cattle, and horses over humans._[3]
Worldwide efforts to prevent the spread of mosquitoes have little effect because global warming is increasing the insects' range and numbers._[3]
In addition to malaria, mosquitoes also transmit various types of encephalitis, meningitis, and West Nile._[3]
The world's largest mosquito statue is found in Canada. Sculpted in 1984, it has a wingspan of 15 feet._[2]
Mosquitoes don't bite; they suck._[3]
Mosquitoes can mate in mid air, sometimes in as little as 15 seconds. Males have pincers or claspers on their abdomens, which they use to grab onto females._[1]