2006-09-23 19:12:34 · 6 answers · asked by cheese 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
http://members.aol.com/jantbrown/bugme.html chk this site out. its about mosquitos teeth(dont forget to choose the best answer)
2006-09-23 19:13:55 · answer #1 · answered by balu 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Mosquitoes do not really have teeth as we know them. Their proboscis is made up of the same mouthparts that make up all insect mouthparts. In mosquitoes, where the mouthparts are modified into long, slender needle-like apparati, the parts are generally referred to as stylets.
In mosquitoes, there are two mandibles and two maxillae. The mandibles of the mosquito are basically long, thin, sharp blades that slice a tiny incision in the skin of their victim. The maxillae are similar, but the tip of each maxilla is serrated, and it saws these maxillae back and forth in the wound to enlarge the opening so that the other mouthparts can enter.
The labrum-epipharynx is sort of horseshoe-shaped in cross section. It lays on top of the tubular hypopharynx, with the top of the hypopharynx completing the bottom of the labrum-epipharynx, and creating what is essentially two separate tubes - almost like a double-barreled shotgun.
The hypopharynx injects the anti-coagulant saliva into the open wound, and the blood is sucked up through the labrum-epipharynx. The separation between these tubes is the reason that diseases like HIV are not easily transmissable by mosquitoes. Other diseases, like encephalitis or malaria are actually injected along with the saliva through the hypopharynx.
The labium is thicker and fleshier than the other mouthparts, and actually surrounds them almost like a scabbard, protecting the thin, delicate stylets from harm. The labium fold back as the stylets are deployed, allowing the mouthparts to get to work.
There are a few references to numbers of teeth in various mosquito species. What these are generally talking about is the number of serrations on the tips of the maxillae. In a few species, these can be used as diagnostics to determine what species you are looking at, but in most species the number is highly variable, with larger individuals generally having more 'teeth'. Few keys even mention these characters because of the variability and the fact that you need a pretty darned good microscope to even see the teeth, let alone count them.
2006-09-24 12:43:11 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
wow balu informative website!
2006-09-24 02:24:56 · answer #3 · answered by mr_resistor2003 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No, they have a proboscis. Bites is just an expression, the mosquito sucks your blood into its 'straw', expelling more fluid from its buttend when there is too much. that is how diseases are transmitted as the proboscis is not clean and inserts into every skin.
2006-09-24 02:53:46 · answer #4 · answered by Fenrispro 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
no reason for teeth,,they live on sucking blood only...
2006-09-24 02:17:09 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
no, they have a long needle shaped mouth that sucks the blood :-)
2006-09-24 02:15:45 · answer #6 · answered by sweety 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No they have a big pecker though
2006-09-24 02:14:58 · answer #7 · answered by ? 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋