That鈥檚 1 big mosquito but this one is harmless
Print Edition
A Chinese entomologist has found a giant mosquito with a wingspan of 11.15 centimeters.
Zhao Li, curator of the Insect Museum of West China, said the mosquito, which belongs to the world鈥檚 largest mosquito species Holorusia mikado, was found last August during a field trip to Mount Qingcheng in Chengdu, capital of southwest Sichuan Province.
First found in Japan and named by British entomologist John Obadiah Westwood in 1876, the Holorusia mikado species normally have a wing span of about 8 centimeters.
鈥淭hese mosquitoes look horrendous, but do not feed on blood. The adults have a life span of only a few days and mainly feed on nectar,鈥 Zhao said. 鈥淭here are tens of thousands of types of mosquitoes in the world. Barely 100 species feed on blood and may be a problem for humans.鈥
In the western parts of Sichuan, Holorusia mikado, also known as the crane fly, are mainly found in the Chengdu Plain and in mountainous areas below 2,200 meters.
鈥淭hey 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,鈥 Zhao said.
The museum houses over 700,000 specimens.
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