Mosquito
Mosquito
Invertebrate
The mosquito is a small but mighty insect: the females seek out blood to feed their eggs, while the males sip only flower nectar.
💡 Fun Facts
- A flying insect where the females drink blood to develop their eggs.
- The males only drink flower nectar.
Name Story
Culex pipiens
means “the piping little fly”
What does its name mean?
- Culex — gnat, midgeLatin
- pipiens — piping, whiningLatin (pipire, 'to peep/pipe')
- mosquito — little flySpanish (mosca, 'fly')
"Mosquito" honestly means "little fly" — and it truly is a small fly. Its species name, "piping", captures that maddening high-pitched whine of its wings that everyone knows from a summer night.