Mosquitoes are blood-sucking insects. Description and distribution of mosquitoes

With mosquitoes, everything is much easier. Mosquito is Spanish for little fly. In the 18th century, in the southern United States, the word passed into English language and today all English speakers call our mosquitoes exclusively mosquitoes.

It is customary to include malarial Anopheles mosquitoes, Aedes biting mosquitoes, etc. in the mosquito community. All of these insects are included in the Nematocera (Long-whiskered) group of the Diptera (Diptera) order. Here, by the way, scientific cunning lurks. In fact, both mosquitoes and mosquitoes have four wings, but one pair is underdeveloped and has turned from an organ of movement into an organ of balance - the halteres.

Differences in the appearance of mosquitoes and mosquitoes

As for mosquitoes, since the 19th century, Russian travelers have understood them as small (up to 3 mm in length) insects, widespread in the south - in the subtropics, tropics and the equatorial belt of our planet. At the same time, for some reason, midges (Ceratopogonidae), which are found in abundance in Siberian forests, were not considered mosquitoes.

Another conditional difference is coloring. It is believed that the body of the mosquito is gray or black, and the body and wings of mosquitoes are covered with multi-colored patterns. It is also very doubtful - with a mosquito size of 3 mm, it is possible to see the ornaments only under a magnifying glass.

Habitat and behavioral features of mosquitoes and mosquitoes

Diptera live on earth everywhere except Antarctica. But if you stick to a not quite scientific division into mosquitoes and mosquitoes, then the former live everywhere, and the latter are limited from the north and south by about 40-45 parallels. Above and below the globe, their path is closed.

The breeding process of mosquitoes and mosquitoes

There are no special differences in the process of reproduction between mosquitoes and mosquitoes. The main highlight of the process is the vital need for female insects to receive fresh blood, preferably warm-blooded animals. Mosquitoes in the savannah, midges in the subpolar tundra with the same success can bring both buffalo and reindeer to white heat. In the summer, animals lose up to 300 ml of blood from bites daily, and the weakest die from allergic reactions caused by substances that come with the saliva of insects. These are anticoagulants that slow down blood clotting and allow the female to suck and ensure the maturation of eggs.

Our northern mosquitoes lay their eggs exclusively in water. Foreign mosquitoes are able to satisfy themselves with rotting vegetation, topsoil, and even wet sand.

More about mosquito and mosquito bites

Culex mosquitoes usually land on the skin, immediately unmistakably choosing places where the capillaries are as close to the surface as possible. Mosquitoes do not possess such sniper talents. Their females make several jumps before finding the right place. Then a mosquito or mosquito sticks a stinging proboscis into the skin and drink the blood. The injection angle can be different and depends on the type and size of the insect. Male mosquitoes and mosquitoes are not interested in blood, their proboscis is soft and short, suitable only for drinking nectar from plant flowers.

The question of how mosquitoes differ from mosquitoes is not entirely scientific in nature, since these words are actually synonyms. Both words refer to small insects that form the so-called "nasal complex". Their females bite animals and humans in order to get the blood that is needed for the maturation of eggs. Mosquitoes and mosquitoes feed exclusively on the nectar of flowering plants.

Mosquitoes are attracted to body heat, the smell of sweat, and an increased concentration of carbon dioxide in the exhaled air.

The speed of pursuit of the victim by a mosquito is 4..7 km / h.

mosquitoes over a thousand species are known. The habitat area extends north to the 50th parallel of northern latitude. The most noticeable difference from mosquitoes is the brown-gray or yellow coloration. They carry a wide range of different diseases, including leishmaniasis. In nature, they live in animal burrows, tree hollows, caves. They fly for prey at a distance of up to 1.5 km. In settlements, they live in the burrows of house rodents, under floors, in basements. For reproduction, mosquitoes need shallow water bodies with stagnant water. warm water, For example, a puddle or tin. Female mosquitoes drink blood. Most species attack humans at night and are especially active immediately after sunset and shortly before sunrise. If the weather is cloudy, mosquitoes attack during the day. They are rarely limited to one "meal". To prevent insects from biting while you sleep, tie a towel over your face and breathe through the fabric. From a rigid plastic window screen, sew a bag over your head and wear it at night. The bag should not touch your face anywhere, otherwise mosquitoes will certainly find this place during a long night.

Thick fabric such as soldier's cloth is not bitten by insects. A thin shirt will protect only in those places where it does not touch the body.

Radical protection against mosquitoes and mosquitoes includes the following:

1. Destruction of puddles, swampy places, reservoirs of stagnant water.
2. Spraying insecticides in rooms where insects hibernate: basements, attics.
3. "Oiling" of water bodies: the spill of kerosene or other low-volatile oil products that form a film in the water that prevents the mosquito larvae from breathing.

To reduce itching at the bite sites, lubricate them with cologne or solution ammonia. Use repellents. Repellent can be used to soak clothing and netting over the bed. It works from 3 to 8 hours - depending on the repellent, insects, weather. Repellents can damage plastics and synthetic fabrics.

Midges.

Midges are carriers of diseases (onchocerciasis) only in Africa, South and Central America. Midge larvae develop in fast-flowing rivers, and the places of distribution of these insects are accordingly located.

Flies.

Flies carry infections, eggs and larvae of worms. Some tropical flies feed on human blood.

Place nets on windows and doors to keep out flies. Arrange poisonous and sticky baits.

Have a fly swatter handy - a stick with an elastic petal at the end. A children's gun that shoots an arrow with a rubber Velcro on the end is an effective and pleasant tool for killing flies.

Bury or burn rubbish. Have a pit ready and a pile of earth with it. Bury faeces, or cover tightly, or fill with a solution of chloramine. Do not pour slop on the ground: dig a narrow hole and cover it with a lid.

If life forces you to settle in the countryside, agitate your neighbors to fight flies: flies are common in the village.

Housefly :

Life expectancy is about 1 month. Lays eggs in rotting matter of plant and animal origin.

Carries intestinal infections (cholera, dysentery, typhoid fever, etc.), pathogens of tuberculosis, eggs of worms.

Wolfart fly :

A large fly of light gray color. It is found in the Caucasus, Central Asia and more northern regions. Viviparous. It flies to the smell of decaying tissues (to the wound), on the fly it injects its larvae into the human body. The larvae immediately take root in the body of the "owner" and feed on it. They leave the host just before pupation.

The fly can introduce its larvae into the human eye. Children are especially affected by this. There have been known cases of death.

Gadfly.

Gadflies bite through a thin shirt, or, in any case, they believe that they will succeed. If you have two layers of clothing on, then insects attack only open parts of the body. Wear gloves in summer. Don't think you'll be special: pay attention to how jungle rangers in American action movies dress up for the jungle. Naked torsos are a cinematic effect, but gloves are the truth of life.

Ticks.

The life expectancy of some species of ticks is up to 25 years. Lack of food, some insects can withstand up to 10 years.

taiga tick : Carries viral spring-summer encephalitis. The size of the blood-sucking female is up to 4 mm. The coloration is brown.

dog tick : Tolerates tularemia, encephalitis. It is similar in size and color to the taiga tick. Waiting for prey, sitting on the lower branches of trees, bushes.

Settlement tick : Carries relapsing tick-borne typhus. It lives in rodent burrows, in buildings for animals, in human dwellings. Able to starve up to 10 years, while maintaining the ability to transmit the disease.

The described mites attack open areas of the body or crawl under clothing. When heading into the woods, wear boots or tuck your pants into woolen socks. Wear a shirt that closes with a zipper, not buttons. The shirt must be tucked into the pants. Check clothing periodically. If you find a tick on the body, do not crush or drop it, as it will leave its proboscis in your body, and there will be a tumor. Drop iodine on the tick or lightly burn it with a match so that it removes the proboscis on its own.

Encephalitis is vaccinated.

scabies mite : Dimensions 0.3 by 0.3 mm. Life expectancy 4..5 weeks. Females gnaw passages in human skin. The moves are visible as whitish lines. Males live on the surface of the skin and penetrate the passages gnawed by females for fertilization. The tick can affect any area of ​​the skin, but most often - on the back of the hands, between the fingers, in the armpits, in the perineum. Causes itching, worse at night.

The mosquito, which looks like a mosquito, can cause great harm to human health, as this insect is a carrier of dangerous infectious diseases. However, their habitats are not as widespread and extended as those of mosquitoes.

Appearance

Their color cannot be called bright, they are found in nature. different colors and shades: from transparent white color to dark brown. A mosquito can take on a different color if there is blood sucked from the “victim” in its body. His legs and trunk are long.

Mosquitoes have black eyes and antennae on their heads. Distinctive feature of this insect is that at rest its folded wings are raised above the abdomen at an angle of 45 0 . The whole body is covered with hair.

Despite the fact that mosquitoes have wings, most often they move by jumping. These insects fly weakly, and the maximum speed they develop is 4 m/s.

Mosquito development

Mosquito development occurs in 4 stages:

• Egg;
• Larva;
• chrysalis;
• Imago.

As an adult, the female mosquito begins to feed on blood in order to lay eggs. In normal times, this insect feeds on natural sugar. Males do not drink blood. The egg matures in 6 to 8 days. In total, the female lays from 30 to 60 eggs at a time. This process depends on the temperature around the future larvae, the rate of digestion of blood, and also on its type.

Scientists are still investigating the places where the female lays eggs after the future larvae are placed in safe place- the female dies. The area favorable for breeding should be moist, cool, and organic matter should be present nearby. So, in arid regions, mosquitoes were found in the minks of wild animals, as well as in cracks in upper layers earth.

Females can also lay their eggs in the water without harming future mosquitoes. Insects will be able to hatch in the aquatic environment and live in it for up to 5 days, there are certain species that can live in water for up to 14 days. Then the larvae can come to the surface. Without access to water for 24 hours, they die, which is why it is so important for them to exist in moist soil.

The transformation from larva to doll takes place en masse. At the same time, all insects of this species pass to the next stage of development. It occurs in late spring or early summer.

The period of development and maturation of the pupa lasts several months, but the process can also drag on for a year. After the pupal stage is completed, the mosquito becomes adult, and females are ready to give offspring. Adults feed on flower nectar.

Types of mosquitoes, habitats of mosquitoes

To date, researchers have more than 700 various kinds mosquitoes, many of which can be carriers of infections. The most famous of them are:

• Phlebotomus;
• Lutzomyia.

These insects can be found in warm climates. They are common on almost all warm continents, but they were not found in New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. The most favorite habitat is the tropics and subtropics. In Russia, mosquitoes live in the southern regions: in the Crimea, in the Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories. They are also found in the tundra.

Females lay their eggs in places close to other living creatures. Thus, insects do not have to look for food and go far to prey on it.

mosquito bite

The bite of this insect can be compared to a mosquito. The mosquito finds an easily vulnerable spot on the body of the victim, where it pushes its trunk. This process is facilitated by small mites installed on the proboscis - they push apart skin tissues and integuments. At the same moment, the saliva of the insect is released.

In addition to the discomfort after a bite, a mosquito can also bring more serious harm to a person, including a disease common in hot countries - phlebotoderma. This insect can be a carrier of such dangerous diseases:

• fever;
• bartonellosis;
• leishmaniasis.

The order includes the largest number of species of medical importance. Representatives of the detachment have one (anterior) pair of membranous transparent or colored wings. The rear pair has turned into small haltere appendages that perform the function of balance organs. The head is spherical or hemispherical, connected to the chest by a thin soft stalk, which leads to greater mobility.

Diptera are divided into two suborders:

1. long-whiskered (mosquitoes and related groups)
2. short-whiskered (flies and related groups)

Suborder Long-whiskers

The most important representatives: mosquitoes, mosquitoes, midges

• Mosquitoes (Culicidae). Blood-sucking insects. Distributed from the tundra zone to the desert oases. Three genera are most often found on the territory of the former USSR - Anopheles (anopheles), Culex (Culex), Aёdes (aedes)

Imaginal forms of insects are small in size. The head bears large compound eyes, antennae and mouthparts.

Only females with a piercing-sucking apparatus are blood-sucking. It consists of a lower lip in the form of a gutter, an upper lip in the form of a plate closing the gutter from above, a pair of lower and a pair of upper jaws in the form of bristles (stabbing apparatus) and a tongue (hypopharynx), inside which the salivary gland canal passes. All stabbing parts lie in a case formed by the lower and upper lip. The appendages of the lower jaws are the mandibular palpi.

In males, the apparatus is sucking, the stabbing parts are reduced. They feed on the nectar of flowers. On the sides of the mouth apparatus are antennae, consisting of 14-15 segments, in males they are covered with long hairs, in females - short.

Development with complete metamorphosis: egg, larva, pupa, adult. Eggs are laid in water or moist soil, breeding sites, depending on the genus of mosquitoes, can be natural and artificial reservoirs (puddles, ponds, ditches, water pits, irrigation and drainage canals, water barrels, rice fields, tree hollows, etc. .).

Before pupation, the larva actively feeds and molts several times. The body of the larva is clearly divided into the head, thorax and abdomen. The head is rounded, bears antennae, eyes and fan-shaped fans. While moving, the vanes drive water with the particles contained in it into the mouth of the larvae. The larva swallows any particles of a certain size, regardless of whether they are food or not. This is the basis for the use of pesticides sprayed in water bodies. The respiratory organs are the trachea and tracheal gills.

The pupa has the shape of a comma due to the massive cephalothorax and narrow abdomen, it does not feed, it moves with the help of quick flaps of the abdomen.

Hatched females and males live near water bodies, feeding on nectar. After fertilization, the female needs to drink blood to develop eggs. She searches for prey and sucks the blood of animals or humans. During the digestion of blood, maturation of eggs occurs (gonotrophic cycle), which lasts 2-3 days, but depending on the conditions, it may be delayed. Some mosquito species have only one gonotrophic cycle per summer (monocyclic), others may have several cycles (polycyclic).

The life expectancy of a female in the warm season is up to 3 months. Males live 10-15 days; in autumn and early winter, males die.

For the winter, larval and imaginal forms of females fall into a state of diapause. Diapause - inhibition of development at one of the stages of the life cycle, adapted to wintering. Most species of the genus Anopheles and Culex overwinter in the state of adults (female), Aedes - in the state of eggs.

Each type of mosquito has its own characteristics of ecology, so the organization of control measures requires exact definition genus present in the area. To do this, it is necessary to dwell on the signs that are important for the differential diagnosis of various genera of mosquitoes. Differences exist at all stages of the cycle .

egg laying

In mosquitoes of the genus Culex, eggs stick together during laying and form a "boat" that floats in the water. The eggs of mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles are bordered by a concave belt, equipped with air chambers and swim separately. Mosquitoes of the genus Aedes lay their eggs one at a time at the bottom of drying ponds.

Larval forms

Larvae of mosquitoes of the genus Culex and Aedes have a respiratory siphon on the penultimate segment of the abdomen in the form of a narrow tube with a stigma at the free end. Due to this, the larvae are located at an angle to the surface of the water. They can live in heavily polluted waters.

Larvae of mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles do not have a siphon, they have a pair of stigmas on the dorsal side of the penultimate segment, and therefore the larvae are located strictly parallel to the water surface. The hairs located on the segments help them to stay in this position. They live exclusively in clean or almost clean water bodies.

The Aedes larva lives in temporarily drying up reservoirs, puddles, ditches, hollows of trees, vessels with water, and can live in heavily polluted reservoirs.

pupae

Mosquito pupae on the dorsal side of the cephalothorax have a pair of respiratory siphons or tubules. With their help, the pupa is suspended from the surface film of water.

A distinctive feature of different genera of mosquitoes is the shape of the respiratory siphons. In mosquitoes of the genus Culex and Aedes, the siphons are cylindrical, while in the genus Anopheles, they are funnel-shaped.

Winged forms

Differences are manifested in the structure of the appendages of the head, the color of the wings and landing.

In Anopheles females, the mandibular palps are equal in length to the proboscis, in Culex females they are shorter than the proboscis and make up approximately 1/3-1/4 of its length.

There are dark spots on the wings of the malarial mosquito, which mosquitoes of the genus Culex do not have.

When landing, the abdomen of mosquitoes of the Anopheles genus is raised and is at an angle to the surface, while in the Culex genus, the abdomen is parallel to the surface.

The control of mosquitoes as vectors of the malaria pathogen requires a detailed study of the biology of the mosquito. Winged mosquitoes (imago) Anopheles maculipennis live near human dwellings. They inhabit various non-residential buildings located near the places of their breeding (various reservoirs). Here you can find males and young, not yet drinking the blood of females. During the day they sit motionless, hiding in dark corners. At dusk, they fly out in search of food. Food is found by smell. They feed on plant juices, they can drink a solution of sugar, milk, liquid from cesspools. After mating, females begin to drink blood, because without it, eggs do not develop in their body. To satisfy the "thirst for blood" females attack humans, domestic and wild animals. When animals accumulate, mosquitoes smell them at a distance of up to 3 km.

The female sucks blood from 0.5 to 2 minutes and drinks more blood than her body weighs (up to 3 mg). After drinking blood, the females fly away to a dark place, where they sit for 2-12 days, digesting food. At this time, they are easiest to find in human dwellings and livestock buildings. Given the migration of mosquitoes from water bodies to feeding places, Soviet malariologists proposed, when planning new rural construction, to place buildings for animals between water bodies and living quarters. In this case, barnyards become like a barrier that traps mosquitoes (zooprophylaxis of malaria).

In spring and summer, after a single sucking of blood, eggs are formed in the body of the female. In autumn, the pumped blood goes to the formation of a fatty body and the eggs do not develop. Obesity enables the female to overwinter. For wintering, mosquitoes fly to basements, cellars, pantries and rooms for animals, where there is no light and drafts. The winter is spent in a state of stupor. A. maculipennis tolerates cold well. By the middle of winter, females acquire the ability to lay eggs after a single blood meal. However, departure from wintering grounds and search for food occur only on warm days.

After maturation of eggs, the female migrates to the reservoir. Lays eggs on the fly or sitting on aquatic plants. Overwintered females produce the first laying of eggs in spring. Much later, spring and summer females begin to lay eggs. Having laid their eggs, they again fly in search of food, suck blood, and after maturation of the eggs again lay them in the reservoir. There may be several such cycles.

Unlike other mosquitoes, Anopheles lays its eggs scattered, without sticking them to each other. The eggs have air chambers and float on the surface of the water. After 2-14 days, larvae emerge from them. Anopheles larvae breathe atmospheric air. They can be found near the surface film of water. On this basis, they are easy to distinguish from the larvae of twitching mosquitoes and pusher mosquitoes, leading a bottom lifestyle. The larvae of Culex and Aedes mosquitoes are also found near the surface film. They are distinguished from the larvae of the malarial mosquito by a special respiratory tube - a siphon, extending from the penultimate segment of the abdomen. With the help of a siphon, they are suspended from the surface film of water. Malaria mosquito larvae do not have a siphon. When breathing, their body is parallel to the surface of the reservoir; air enters the trachea through the spiracles.

The larvae feed on microscopic organisms. They vigorously move the appendages of the head (fans) and create a fluid current that brings to the mouth organs everything that is in the surface layer of water. The larva without choice swallows any particles that do not exceed a certain size. In this regard, when using dust-like pesticides to control mosquito larvae, it is necessary to take into account the size of their particles.

The period of larval development consists of four stages (ages), separated from each other by molts. Larvae of the fourth age after molting turn into pupae. The pupa looks like a comma. In the anterior expanded section is the head and chest; behind is a thin abdomen of 9 segments. Anopheles pupae differ from Cules and Aedes pupae in the shape of the respiratory siphon. In pupae of the malarial mosquito, it has the shape of a cone ("postal horn"), in non-malarial mosquitoes, the siphon is cylindrical. At this stage, metamorphosis occurs, after which the imago (winged mosquito) emerges from the chitinous shell of the pupa. All development in water, from egg laying to adult emergence, lasts 14-30 days, depending on the temperature.

Mosquito control is an essential part of the malaria eradication effort. Malaria is an obligately transmissible disease and its pathogen is transmitted only by mosquitoes of the Anopheles genus.

The destruction of mosquitoes is carried out in all stages of their life cycle. In the summer, winged mosquitoes are destroyed in the places of their daytime, and in the fall and early winter - in the places of wintering. To do this, rooms in which mosquitoes accumulate are subjected to dusting or spraying with insecticides. DDT and hexachloran preparations are used in the form of powders (dusts), liquid emulsions and aerosols.

To combat larvae and pupae, a survey of reservoirs is carried out. Only some of them can serve as breeding grounds for malaria mosquitoes. Such anophelogenic water bodies must have a whole range of conditions that meet the needs of life and development of larvae. Anopheles larvae live in relatively clean oligosaprobic (see p. 326) water bodies with microplankton for food and sufficient dissolved oxygen. Larvae do not live in highly saline water bodies. Fast-flowing rivers and streams are also not used. However, their coastal zone can serve as a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Waves and even ripples prevent the larvae from breathing. Of essential importance is the nature of the vegetation of the reservoir and the illumination of its surface with direct sunlight. In heavily shaded forest water bodies, the larvae of the malaria mosquito do not live.

When fighting mosquito larvae, small water bodies that are not needed for economic purposes are covered with earth. Larger reservoirs that are not used for fish breeding and economic purposes are subjected to oiling or treated with pesticides. Oil, spreading over the surface of the water in the form of a very thin film, closes the spiracles of the larvae and kills them. Gives good results biological method control: colonization of anophelogenous reservoirs by tropical fish Gambusia, devouring larvae and pupae of mosquitoes. In rice fields, short-term descent of water (intermittent irrigation) is used.

Prevention and control measures. Personal - protection against mosquito bites. Public prevention: the main activities are the destruction of larval forms and breeding sites. Pupae, since they do not feed and are protected by thick chitin, are not susceptible to various kinds of influences.

The fight against larvae consists of a number of activities:

1. destruction of any small abandoned water tanks;
2. spraying in reservoirs serving as breeding sites, pesticides;
3. oiling of reservoirs, preventing the flow of oxygen;
4. a change in the type of vegetation in a reservoir or a change in the degree of its overgrowth;
5. drainage of the area, land reclamation works;
6. biological control measures are used mainly in water bodies in which agricultural crops grow, for example, rice fields, where live-bearing fish are bred - gambusia, feeding on mosquito larvae;
7. zooprophylaxis - when designing settlements between potential breeding grounds for mosquitoes and residential buildings have livestock farms, as mosquitoes willingly feed on the blood of animals;
8. spraying insecticides in rooms where mosquitoes hibernate: basements, attics, barnyards, outbuildings. All insecticides are used so as not to harm the animal and plant world.

Distributed in warm and hot areas of the globe. The habitat is the south of Europe, central and southern Asia, northern Africa. They can live in the wild and in settlements. Habitats in settlements are the burrows of house rodents, the space under the floors of residential buildings, at the base of adobe buildings, under heaps of construction waste, etc. In the wild, rodent burrows (gerbils, ground squirrels, etc.), nests birds, dens of jackals, foxes, caves, cracks, hollows of trees. From their burrows, mosquitoes fly to settlements located up to 1.5 km away, which is important for the spread of diseases.

Mosquitoes - small insects - body length 1.5-3.5 mm. The color is brown-gray or light yellow. The head is small, with a short piercing-sucking apparatus, antennae and compound eyes. The widest part of the body is the chest, the abdomen consists of ten segments, of which the last two are modified and represent the outer parts of the genital apparatus. The legs are long and thin. The body and wings are heavily covered with hairs.

Males feed on plant sap. Only females drink blood, although they can also feed on sugary liquids. Females attack animals and humans before sunset and in the first hours after sunset outdoors and indoors. A person in the injection site feels itching and burning; blisters form. In sensitive individuals, intoxication manifests itself in the form of general weakness, headaches, loss of appetite and insomnia. When a person is injected with a mosquito P. pappatasii with the saliva of the latter, the causative agent of a viral disease - pappataci fever can be introduced. In Central Asia and India, mosquitoes also serve as carriers of pathogens of cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis.

Females lay up to 30 eggs 5-10 days after sucking blood. The eggs are elongated-oval in shape, after some time after laying they become brown in color. Development proceeds with complete metamorphosis. In the process of development, the larva goes through 4 stages. The worm-like legless larvae emerging from the eggs with a rounded head covered with hairs live in the soil and feed on decaying organic matter. They can be found in animal stalls, dirt-floored rooms, undergrounds, and garbage dumps. In nature, they develop in rodent burrows and bird nests. After the fourth molt, a club-shaped pupa is formed, from which, at the end of metamorphosis, a winged insect emerges. The pupa does not eat.

Like female mosquitoes, female mosquitoes have a gonotrophic cycle. However, many species of mosquitoes suck blood repeatedly during the maturation of eggs. Capable of transovarial transmission of pathogens.

Prevention and control measures. In the villages, the treatment of residential premises with insecticides is used, in natural conditions kill rodents in burrows.

The whole mass of flying blood-sucking dipteran insects is called midges. In the Siberian taiga, tundra and other places, dipterous bloodsuckers sometimes appear in myriad numbers, attack animals and humans in clouds, clog their nose, throat, and ears.

The predominant part of the taiga midges are midges. Of these, the most important is the genus Culicoides, which has a number of species. These are the smallest of the blood-sucking insects (1-2 mm in length). Reproducing, they lay eggs in water or on damp ground. They attack around the clock, but mostly in the evening and at night. Only the female sucks blood. Saliva has a toxic effect and mass injections are extremely painful.

Another important component of the midges are midges, blood-sucking insects from the genus Simulium. They are distributed in various parts of the globe, but they are carriers of diseases only in Africa, South and Central America, where onchocerciasis pathogens are carried. The sizes are small, from 1.5 to 5 mm. The color is dark or dark brown. The body is thick and short, the legs and antennae are also short. The proboscis is short and thick, its length is much less than the diameter of the head. Blood-sucking only females that attack outdoors during daylight hours.

They live in damp wooded areas. Development occurs in fast-flowing, rapids rivers and streams, on the water of which, when laying eggs, females descend. Females attach eggs to aquatic plants and rocks submerged in water. The larvae live in the water. They have a worm-like shape, developed organs of attachment to underwater objects in the form of outgrowths equipped with hooks. The pupae are inside cocoons tightly attached to underwater objects.

They attack during daylight hours. They cause itching, swelling, and in case of mass attacks - general intoxication of the body. There have been cases of animal deaths. There are indications that some species may be carriers of tularemia pathogens.

Control measures.

When protecting against midges, fumigation is used (burning pyrethrum smoking candles, kindling smoking fires from leaves, manure, etc.). For personal protection, E. N. Pavlovsky recommends scaring nets (pieces of a fishing net soaked in special mixtures that repel insects). The net is thrown over the headdress, lowering it over the shoulders. To combat the larvae, the flowing water is treated with liquid insecticides.

Suborder short-whiskers

The most important representatives: flies, gadflies and horseflies

Some types of flies are closely related to humans (commensal), these include the housefly, housefly, autumn stingray.

• house fly ( Musca domestica) . Spread throughout globe. An ordinary inhabitant of a human dwelling and a mechanical carrier of pathogens of a number of diseases.

Quite a large insect of dark color. The head is hemispherical, with large compound eyes on the sides, short three-segmented joints and oral apparatus in front. On the paws there are claws and sticky blades that allow the fly to move on any plane. One pair of wings. The fourth longitudinal vein of the wings (medial) forms a fracture characteristic of the species. The proboscis, torso and legs are covered with bristles, to which dirt easily adheres.

The oral apparatus is licking-sucking. The lower lip is turned into a proboscis, at the end of which there are two sucking lobules, between them there is a mouth opening. The upper jaws and the first pair of lower jaws are atrophied. The upper lip and tongue are located on the anterior wall of the proboscis. Fly saliva contains enzymes that dissolve solids. After the food is liquefied, the fly licks it off. The fly feeds on human food, various organic substances. A satiated fly regurgitates the contents of the stomach and defecates every 5-15 minutes, leaving its secretions on food, dishes and various objects.

Flies lay eggs. One clutch contains up to 100-150 eggs. The transformation is complete. They can breed all year round under favorable conditions. 4-8 days after mating, females lay their eggs in rotting substances of plant or animal origin. In urban-type settlements, these are accumulations of food waste in garbage dumps, garbage dumps, landfills, food industry waste. In rural areas, breeding sites are accumulations of domestic animal manure, human feces, human feces on the soil. When laying eggs, the fly sits on sewage, after which it returns to the human dwelling again, bringing sewage on its paws.

A jointed worm-like larva of white color without legs and a separate head emerges from the egg. The larva feeds on liquid food, mainly decaying organic matter. The larvae are hygrophilous and thermophilic, optimum temperature for development 35-45 °C, humidity - 46-84%. Such conditions are created in manure heaps, since feces contain a lot of protein substances, the decay of which releases a large amount of energy and at the same time creates high humidity. The larvae go through 3 larval stages. The larva of the third stage before pupation burrows into the ground. The chitinous cover exfoliating from her body hardens and forms a false cocoon.

The pupa is immobile, externally covered with a thick brown cuticle (puparium). At the end of metamorphosis, the fly (imago) emerging from the puparium passes through a rather thick layer of soil. Life expectancy is about 1 month. During this time, the female lays eggs 5-6 times.

medical significance. The housefly is a mechanical carrier primarily of intestinal infections - cholera, dysentery, typhoid fever, etc. The spread of this particular group of diseases is determined by the fact that flies feed on infected feces and swallow pathogens of intestinal infections or pollute the body surface with them, after which they transfer them to food human nutrition. With food, the pathogen enters the human intestine, where it finds favorable conditions. In the excrement of flies, the bacteria remain alive for a day or more. In addition to intestinal diseases, the housefly can carry pathogens of other diseases, such as diphtheria, tuberculosis, etc., as well as helminth eggs and protozoan cysts.

• House fly (Muscina stabulans). Distributed everywhere.

The body is colored brown, legs and palps yellow color. Coprophage. It feeds on feces and human food. The main breeding sites are human feces in non-sewered latrines and on the soil. In addition, it can develop in the feces of pets and food waste. Adult flies live in yard latrines.

medical significance. Mechanical carrier of intestinal diseases.

The fight against flies should include: a) the destruction of larvae in the breeding grounds of flies; b) the extermination of winged flies; c) protection against flies of premises and foodstuffs.

The fight against flies in their breeding areas consists in the frequent cleaning of slop pits, latrines and garbage dumps. Dry waste should be incinerated. Waste must be composted or disinfected with disinfectants. In the restrooms open type faeces must be filled with quicklime or bleach. To exterminate winged insects, the premises are treated with DDT, hexachloran or other means; catch flies with sticky paper and flycatchers. Complete extermination of flies in enterprises is necessary Catering, in food warehouses and shops, in hospitals and hostels. Open windows in the summer are hung with gauze or metal mesh. Products are stored in cabinets or in sealed containers.

A large fly, light gray in color, with black round spots on the abdomen. It lives in the fields and feeds on plant nectar. After mating, the flies give birth to live larvae. Attracted by the smell of decaying tissues (wounds, purulent discharge), the fly sprays larvae on the fly, attaching them to animal or human tissues, or, on occasion, to the eyes, nose, and ears of sleeping people. The larvae go deep into the tissues, make passages in them and eat away the tissues down to the bones. Before pupation, the larvae leave the host and go into the soil. For one laying, the fly hatches up to 120 larvae.

medical significance. Volfartiosis belongs to the group of so-called malignant myiasis. Flies lay their larvae mainly on people who sleep during the day in the open air or who are in a sick state. Female flies spawn from 120 to 160 very mobile larvae about 1 mm long into open cavities (nose, eyes, ears), on wounds and ulcers on the body of animals, sometimes humans (while sleeping in the open). The larvae crawls deep into the auditory canal, from where it makes its way into the nose, into the cavity of the upper jaw and the frontal sinus. During development, the larvae migrate, destroying tissues with the help of digestive enzymes and mouth hooks. The larvae eat away living tissue, destroy blood vessels. The tissues become inflamed; suppuration appears in them, gangrene develops. V severe cases complete destruction of the soft tissues of the orbit, soft tissues of the head, etc. is possible. There are known cases of myiasis with a fatal outcome.

• Tse-tse flies- belong to the genus Glossina, carry African trypanosomiasis. Distributed only in certain areas of the African continent.

  . It has large dimensions - from 6.5 to 13.5 mm (including the length of the proboscis). Distinctive features are a protruding strongly chitinous proboscis, dark spots on the dorsal side of the abdomen, and the nature of folding wings at rest.

  Females are viviparous, laying only one larva, already able to pupate. Throughout her life (3-6 months), the female lays 6-12 larvae. The larvae are deposited directly on the surface of the soil, into which they immediately drill into and turn into pupae. After 3-4 weeks, the imaginal form comes out.

  They feed on the blood of wild and domestic animals, as well as humans. Moist and shade loving.

  • Glossina palpalis

    Geographic distribution. Western regions of the African continent.

    Morphophysiological characteristics. A large insect, more than 1 cm in size. The color is dark brown. On the dorsal side of the abdomen there are several narrow transverse yellow stripes and one longitudinal in the middle. Two large dark spots are located between the transverse stripes.

    It lives near human dwellings along the banks of rivers and lakes overgrown with shrubs and trees, as well as on forest roads in places with high soil moisture. It feeds mainly on human blood, preferring it to the blood of any animals, so humans serve as the main reservoir of trypanosomiasis transmitted by the fly. Sometimes attacks wild animals, as well as domestic (pigs). It only bites a moving person or animal.

    Morphophysiological characteristics. Dimensions less than 10 mm. The color is straw yellow. The transverse stripes on the dorsal side of the abdomen are wide, very light, almost white in color. dark spots smaller size. Less shade and moisture-loving. It lives in savannahs and savannah forests. It prefers to feed on the blood of wild animals - large ungulates (antelopes, buffaloes, rhinos, etc.). It rarely attacks a person, only during stops, usually on a hunt, when moving in the outback.

    Control measures. In order to destroy the larvae, shrubs and trees are cut down in the breeding areas (in the coastal zone, around settlements, at river crossings, at water intake points and along roads). Insecticides and traps are used to kill adult flies. For the purpose of prevention, wild animals are exterminated, which serve as a source of food for flies (antelopes, buffaloes, rhinos, hypopotamuses); use the introduction of medicinal preparations against sleeping sickness to healthy people. The drug, introduced into the body, circulates in the blood and prevents a person from infection. According to WHO, mass injections to the population in some African countries have led to a significant decrease in the incidence.

Mosquitoes are a subfamily of long-whiskered dipterous insects that are part of the gnat. The subfamily includes several genera. In particular, these are Phlebotomus and Sergentomyia in the Old World and Lutzomyia in the New World. There are more than 700 species of insects within these genera.

Mosquitoes are most common in the tropics and subtropics. They are very attracted to countries with a hot dry climate, but they can also be found in some northern latitudes. Mosquitoes feel great both below and above sea level. Approximately 30 species of mosquitoes living in European countries are described. On the territory of the CIS, they can be found on the southern coast of Crimea, the North Caucasus, Transcaucasia, and Central Asia. The only place in which the presence of mosquitoes has not been detected is New Zealand and the islands of the Pacific.

Mosquito sucks blood

In nature, mosquitoes live in shaded dense bushes, in caves and in mountain crevices, near steep river banks. Female mosquitoes are especially fond of accumulations of decaying organic matter that release hexanol and isoamyl alcohol. In such places they arrange egg laying. Mosquitoes living in semi-desert conditions make their homes in the burrows of thick gerbils, fine-toed ground squirrels and some other rodents. This is due to favorable temperature and humidity for the development of both larvae and adults. In settlements, insects settle in crevices of walls, darkened places in residential premises, cluttered attics and basements, garbage dumps, and weed thickets.

Mosquitoes are especially active at night. You can recognize them by their characteristic jumping flight, a body covered with hairs and wings that are raised above the abdomen at rest. The mouth apparatus of mosquitoes is of a piercing-sucking type with a long proboscis. Female insects feed on the blood of animals and humans. Blood is needed for egg maturation.

How to protect yourself from mosquito bites

In the habitats of mosquitoes, you should be guided by some rules of conduct that will protect you from unwanted contact with these dangerous insects.

First, be vigilant before sunset and in the first few hours after it.

Secondly, be especially careful when traveling in tropical and subtropical countries.

Thirdly, when spending the night in nature, use an anti-mosquito net or, in the absence of it, any other suitable material.

Fourth, tuck your pants into socks or boots, wear long sleeves.

Fifth, use repellents that provide protection against mosquitoes and mosquitoes. These are special natural or synthetic chemicals used in everyday life to repel arthropods.

There are olfactory repellents that affect the olfactory organs of insects, and contact repellents, the effect of which is possible only with direct contact of the insect with the treated surface. Synthetic repellents are available in the form of lotions, creams, ointments, as well as emulsions and aerosols. You can buy them at any pharmacy.

Sixth, cover the windows of your houses with fine mesh.

Seventh, use fumigators - devices for the destruction of mosquitoes and mosquitoes by poisoning them with poisonous vapors or gases that are non-toxic to warm-blooded animals. You can also buy fumigators at a pharmacy.

Eighth, keep your yard clean. Do not arrange household and construction waste dumps.

Ninth, a couple of times a year, dig up the ground on lawns and flower beds.

Tenth, get rid of plant debris, fallen leaves, weed or mow weeds in a timely manner.

Eleventh, cement floors in basements, attics, sheds, and other utility rooms. Glaze all windows. Make sure all doors close tightly. Tighten the vents with a fine mesh.

Twelfth, destroy rodents in the house and on the site.

What are the effects of a mosquito bite

Mosquito saliva contains toxic substances that provoke a strong reaction of the human body to the bite of this insect. This disease is called phlebotoderma and is most common in the hot countries of the Middle East. It is also recorded in Central Asia. In conditions temperate climate phlebotoderma is seasonal and manifests itself in summer and autumn.

Depending on the nature of the course, the disease can be acute and chronic.

After a few minutes, and sometimes even hours after the bite, a rash appears on the skin. As a rule, it is observed on the back of the hands, forearms, lower leg, face and other open areas body. First, an urticarial-erythematous spot appears on the affected area. It quickly increases to the size of a 10-15 kopeck coin. After a few hours or even days, the spot turns pale and completely disappears. It happens that in its center there is a point hemorrhage.

Some victims who are prone to allergic reactions have symptoms of Quincke's edema or bullous rashes. With the bullous form of phlebotoderma, erythematous-urticarial elements appear on the skin, then vesicles and large blisters that resemble pigeon eggs in size. A 3-5 cm erythematous corolla often forms around bullous lesions. In most cases, the following symptoms develop:

• headache
• feeling of weakness
• poor appetite

The blisters gradually disappear after a few days.

As a rule, rashes disappear after contact with mosquitoes ceases. However, in some people, rashes are observed for several months and years, developing into chronic phlebotoderma. The disease is characterized by hemispherical nodes from 5 to 15 mm in diameter, which are localized mainly on the extensor surfaces of the limbs, as well as on the back, lower back and buttocks. The nodules are colored brownish-gray and covered with scales and crusts. The disease may be accompanied by the addition of pyococcal infection. Victims may suffer from neurotic disorders, insomnia, loss of appetite caused by acute itching.

The prognosis is often favorable. However, sometimes the disease can stubbornly develop for several years, not responding to treatment.

Mosquitoes also carry phlebotomy fever and other arbovirus infections. Plus, when they bite, they can infect a person with cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis, bartonellosis.

What not to do with mosquito bites

You should not independently use hormonal drugs to relieve swelling and itching.

What measures can be taken for mosquito bites

If a local reaction occurs, you can do the following.

1. Wash the bitten area with soap and water to remove any infected particles that may have been left behind by mosquitoes.

2. Apply an ice bag or other cold object to the bite to relieve itching and reduce inflammation. In this case, you can also use any improvised substance for external use from the list below:

• baking soda solution
• boric alcohol,
• tincture of calendula
• onion or tomato slice,
• toothpaste (non-gel),
• propolis tincture.

In case of severe reactions to mosquito bites, be sure to use medical assistance. Only a doctor will prescribe you the appropriate treatment, which may include hyposensitizing agents, B vitamins, antipruritics, corticosteroids, and, in case of complications with pyoderma, antibiotics.

Interesting facts about mosquitoes and their bites

• As early as 1764, the Spanish doctor Bueno mentioned in his book that the population of the Peruvian Andes associated the appearance of diseases such as leishmaniasis and bartonellosis with the bites of small insects called "uta".
• In Suriname, a small South American state, mosquitoes are used to execute convicted Negroes. They are shown bound and naked. And within 3-4 hours all the convicts die.