Blood-Sucking Creature From The Swamps

The larva of a mosquito (not shown) is a slender, worm-like animal with a breathing tube at one end and a whirling filtration system at the other end (the head end). Born as very tiny larvae about 1-2 mm in length, mosquito larvae feed upon small organisms suspended in the water, and thereby grow to a size that will allow them to become the menacing biting machines they are. But to become a flying mosquito requires a significant metamorphosis from their worm-like state. The process is accomplished through an intermediate stage - a pupa. It's similar to the catapillar settling into a pupa that will 'give birth' to the butterfly, only in this case, the mosquito pupa lives underwater, has a pair of breathing tubes near the head, and can wiggle-swim down to the bottom of the pond for protection from predators.

For a concise and revealing teaching video about Arthropods, get our video/DVD: Branches On the Tree of Life: Arthropods. For a rich overview of freshwater biology, see our program: The Biology of Lakes Ponds and Wetlands. Also check our gallery on animal phyla.