World’s Largest Mosquito found in China, Don’t worry, It doesn’t suck human blood

If there is one insect that breaks the peace of human beings, it definitely got to be a mosquito. When combined in masses, they can be a lethal enemy to the humans. They cause massive pain by piercing the skin with the help of their mouthparts in a bid to feed on tasty blood.

Especially when people fall asleep, mosquitoes get the better of them by leaving hard and itchy bumps on people’s body. Every possible problem haunts the people when they pollute the environment with an increased number of industries and factories.

Credits: India Times via XINHUA

Due to stagnant water, wastes and dust particles that are expelled out from the big industries initiates the evolution of mosquitoes. Every city, every house face mosquito bites. As citizens of this nation, one should protect the environment that has gone from bad to worse.

The Story:

In recent news in the build-up to the mosquito, the Chinese entomologist who empathizes in the field of insects has found something giant insect which humans would be little scared of. It is nothing other than a giant mosquito! With a wingspan of 11.15 cm, it is believed to be the world’s biggest mosquito. The mosquito is found in Sichuan province and it was last seen flying in August during a field trip to Mount Qingcheng in Chengdu, as per the reports by Xinhua agency.

The curator of Insect Museum of West China, Zhai Li had some words in store to describe the characteristics of that mosquito, saying that it belongs to world’s biggest mosquito species, Holorusia Mikado. It is learnt that it was first found in Japan and named by British entomologist John Obadiah Westwood in 1876, the Holorusia Mikado species normally have a wingspan of about 8 cm.

Humans can breathe a sigh of relief as this giant mosquito doesn’t feed on blood as they mainly feed on nectar. Quite strange and surprising, isn’t it? Very much so. “These mosquitoes look horrendous but do not feed on blood. The adults have a lifespan of only a few days and mainly feed on nectar,” he said. “There are tens of thousands of types of mosquitoes in the world. Barely 100 species feed on blood and may be a problem for humans,” he said.

“They are weak fliers because of their big bodies. When they fly, it is more like hopping. More often than not, they are found in areas with dense vegetation,” Zhao said. The western parts of Sichuan, this giant species can also be called as crane fly and lives in the Chengdu plain and mountains below 2200 metres.

Hailing from Chennai, Chaithanya G is the Managing Director of TheYouth. He has dedicated his whole life to reading and writing.