Surely in your garden plot you noticed in the barrel filled with water, black little worms, similar to tiny pieces of thread that hang peacefully under the surface of the water. But as soon as you stir the water a little, they will immediately begin to bend uneasily and quickly go deep, returning soon to their former place. This little oblong creature is called a mosquito larva.
Where do mosquito larvae live?
She keeps so dexterously and naturally that the question involuntarily arises of how this crumb manages to spend so much time under the water surface. But Mother Nature foresaw everything to the smallest detail and arranged for a new nascent life comfortable living conditions until the transition to a new stage of development. The mosquito larva is suspended from the surface of the water due to its breathing tube, which extends from the end of its abdomen. With this kind of hose, she breathes oxygen.
How do larvae eat
The mosquito larva feeds in a suspended state. Her oral appendages with many growing bristles are constantly working, capturing the smallest microorganisms on the go. How much poor fellow is needed, especially since her menu is quite diverse and is replenished every second due to the rapid multiplication of organisms. This nourishing organism lives quite satisfyingly in swamps, wells, and temporary reservoirs. However, the larva does not like large water basins because of its dark coloration, which can betray it to predators treacherously.
Differences between larvae and pupae
The mosquito larva grows very quickly, its residence time in this guise is several weeks, it all depends on the temperature regime. At the end of her life span, she goes into the developmental phase of the pupa. It becomes similar from the side to a small clumsy barrel with a squiggle underneath. But appearance is deceiving, and this cocoon is more mobile than its ancestors. With the help of blows on the water with his abdomen, he jumps on the surface of the water faster than fleas.
Fish food
The question of who eats mosquito larvae can be answered quite unequivocally - everyone who is not lazy. Poor small defenseless organisms are in danger not only in water, but also on the surface. In order to get another treat for your favorite fish, the owner of the aquarium should go to a standing reservoir, not forgetting to bring a net with him in order to catch gape individuals with a deft movement. Also, in water, they become food for fish and predatory larvae, toads and frogs are waiting for them in the swamp, and on land spiders eat themselves.
The worst enemy of mosquito larvae
But not only this danger stands in their way of life. An oil-contaminated pond is the worst enemy that every mosquito larva should be afraid of. Photos from contaminated reservoirs perfectly prove that these places are fatal for this type of organism. The film that covers the expanse of water completely clogs the breathing tubes, and the unfortunate mosquito embryos die from advancing asphyxiation. In total, some tiny fractions of a percent of eggs laid miraculously survive until the transition to the next phase of their development. But, despite all this, huge hordes of mosquitoes fly in the air, looking for their next victim.
