by Malaria Q&A
QUESTION
Why do male mosquitoes not bites humans?
ANSWER
Male mosquitoes do not possess the right kind of feeding apparatus to feed on humans—they only feed on nectar. This is because they do not need to produce eggs, which require lots of energy and protein to make, and so the female mosquitoes need a more comprehensive food source than just nectar when they are egg-laying, such as blood. This is why they feed on humans and other animals when egg-laying.
by Malaria Q&A
QUESTION
What is the structure and size of the mosquito?
ANSWER
The mosquitoes that transmit human malaria belong to the genus Anopheles. As such, they follow the general body plan structure of a flying insect—three segments (head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs of legs and two pairs of wings. Anopheles females have modified mouthparts that allow them to feed on blood, by inserting a specialized proboscis into the skin; male Anopheles feed on nectar and so do not possess the same type of mouthparts.
The size of the adult mosquito varies on factors such as the exact species, the larval environment and food availability, but the length of the body is rarely greater than 16mm and the total weight is usually less than 2.5 milligrams.
by Malaria Q&A
QUESTION
Is Malaria a type of STD for mosquitoes?
ANSWER
No. Mosquitoes pick up the malaria parasite from feeding on the blood of infected humans. Since only female mosquitoes feed on blood (the males feed on nectar), male mosquitoes never get infected with the malaria parasite. The life cycle of malaria in the mosquito is also completely different than in humans, and mosquitoes have a completely different physiology and immune system to humans, so it cannot be said that they get the same disease as we observe when people get infected with malaria.