[ExI] how mosquitoes fly in the rain

[John Grigg]

Spike, thanks for the cool and informative article!


Growing up in Alaska, I was fascinated how there were the bigger and slower
species of mosquito, and then the smaller and much more evasive kind.  I
never tired of the feeling of success I got from killing a skeeter that had
found it's way into my home.


I remember being out on the tundra during a camping trip, and a black cloud
of mosquitoes hungrily tried to close in on me and my fellow campers, but
the persistently strong winds always kept us just out of reach, as long as
we kept steadily moving.  I suppose the pursuing bloodsuckers were in a
form of mosquito hell...


I like the Inuit myth of how there was an evil giant who went around eating
people, and how a brave tribal leader declared enough was enough, and so a
huge pit was dug, with pitch at the bottom, and camouflaging twigs and
leaves covering it up.  A young hunter volunteered to goad the giant into
following him to the trap.  The titanic monster fell in as hoped, and
despite his best efforts, could not escape.  As the villagers threw down
torches which ignited the pitch, the giant screamed with his last breath
that from his ashes would come a curse that would vex the people for
countless generations.  And as his ashes rose up into the sky, they turned
into hordes of mosquitoes!  ; )


John

On Sun, Jun 17, 2012 at 7:18 AM, spike <spike66 at att.net> wrote:

>  Is this cool or what?****
>
> ** **
>
> Many years ago I was up at Mount Rainier in late September when there was
> a freak early snowfall.  I stood around outside the lodge and noticed there
> was a mosquito hovering about as the flakes gently fell, but she wasn’t
> getting caught by them.  I watched for long enough to marvel that she
> managed to dodge every flake.  I assumed that eventually one would clobber
> her and haul her down to the ground where presumably she would perish,
> which is good actually for I detest the wretched beasts.  But I had to feel
> a certain disdainful admiration for her ability to hover about and
> apparently dodge snowflakes.  I hadn’t realized until I saw this that
> mosquitoes can survive direct hits from raindrops: ****
>
> ** **
>
>
> http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/science/2012/06/how-do-mosquitoes-fly-in-the-rain/?utm_source=smithsoniantopic&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20120617-Weekender
> ****
>
> ** **
>
> Fortunately they still have not evolved the ability to evade my paw.
> Dodge THIS, Needlenose!****
>
> ** **
>
> spike****
>
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