Category: Invertebrates
Mosquitos are a family of small flies (the name "Mosquito" literally means "Small Fly" in Spanish) that can be found on every continent except Antarctica. They are known primarily by the females of most species who use their proboscises to suck blood and nourish their eggs. While the saliva left behind from a mosquito bite can lead to an annoying rash, they do not take enough blood to harm the host, and the bite is harmless in and of itself. However, as a mosquito flies from host to host it can pass diseases like chikungunya, dengue, filariasis, malaria, West Nile virus, yellow fever, and Zika fever, making the mosquito no "small fly" as a major disease vector.
It’s an ant’s world. We’re just living in it.
Do humans truly dominate the world? The Argentine ant may have something to say about that. Many ants are known for their large colonies, but the Argentine ant, named for its South American origins takes this to a whole other level. Due to inadvertent introduction by humans, the Argentine ant has spread to all continents except Antarctica. There are now three known super-colonies of these ants: one in Europe (the largest, covering 3,700 miles), one in California (560 miles), and another on the west coast of Japan. Ants are often territorial, but amazingly, ants belonging to the super-colonies recognize one another: if you were to introduce a super colony ant from Japan to one from Europe or California, they will recognize each other as friends!
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