Cannibals And Cradle Robbers: 7 Weird Facts About Mosquitos

Mosquitoes are coming to a summer near you, but how much do you really know about them? University of Florida entomologists open the vault of weird mosquito lore.

1. They’re cannibals

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The giant breed of mosquitoes called gallinippers aren’t just huge, they’re also carnivores. Most mosquito larvae eat decaying vegetation, but gallinippers gobble up tadpoles and other mosquito larvae. They do have a softer side, though: Like all mosquitoes that bite, only the females suck blood, while the males eat flower nectar.

2. They room with crabs

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Crabhole mosquitoes are the couch-crashers of the insect world. They hang out in crab burrows during the day and lay their eggs in the burrow’s swampy bottom, where scientists think the larvae feed on crab poop. But wait, it gets weirder…

3. They rob the cradle

Joe O'Neal / Via entnemdept.ufl.edu

The males of one crabhole mosquito species find a female pupa that’s about to hatch and grab onto it so they're first in line for mating when it emerges. No one knows how they tell the female pupae from the males.

4. They really do like you better

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If mosquitoes pick you out in a crowd, blame your genes. In a UF study, mosquitoes liked identical twins equally, but had strong preferences between fraternal twins, even though the participants' skin was washed with fragrance-free soap. That suggests it’s the genetic factors in your smell that determine how attractive you are to mosquitoes.

5. They don’t care what you eat

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There’s no evidence to show that eating bananas, garlic, onions or any other food will keep mosquitoes away. When your unique chemical signals mix with certain foods, they could change your bloodsucker appeal, but there’s no across-the-board solution.

6. They love your bug zapper

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Not only are bug zappers terrible at killing mosquitoes, they could actually attract more mosquitoes to your yard. They also kill harmless beneficial insects, including the ones that eat mosquitoes.

7. They like to bite males

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A UF study showed that when mosquitos bite birds, they’re more than twice as likely to bite the males. Why should we care? In some parts of the world, mosquitoes also show a preference for human males, so understanding their gender preferences can help protect people from bug-borne disease.