Living in, or even just visiting Costa Rica, inspires appreciation, and respect, for nature. But one creature defies this spirit: Entomologist says there is much scientists don't know about habitats, habits, impacts on their environments …
A blood-sucking nuisance, mosquitoes are responsible for spreading diseases to hundreds of millions of people every year. True?
A Culex mosquito feeding from an invasive brown anole lizard in Florida. Photos courtesy of Lawrence Reeves
Yes, says entomologist Lawrence Reeves, but it's also true that mosquitoes primarily feed on plant sugars, not blood. Only female mosquitoes consume blood, and only when they need it to complete their reproductive cycle. Also, it is possible some may serve as pollinators like bees, allowing plants to produce fruit, seeds, and more young plants.
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