UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL with the  ANOPHELES MOSQUITO

An Exclusive Interview For World Malaria Day 2020 – by Anastacia Ramroop

Let’s get better acquainted with the infamous Anopheles Mosquito (AM)

Q: Tell us about your key characteristics?

AM:  I am a simple female, my body is dark brown and black with a long thin tube for feeding and I can live for just a few weeks. My boyfriend has a wider feathery body and has a life span of about one week. When I am taking a break I enjoy lounging with my stomach pointing upward unlike some mosquitoes. I look dead when I am relaxing out but I’m not. 

Q: Where do you live?

AM: I like to live near to swamps, ponds or in puddles that remain after rains or floods and in very bushy areas. I enjoy sunlight and shady areas … depends on my mood.

Q: What does an Anopheles Mosquito eat?

AM: The female Anopheles mosquito feeds on mammalian blood (human or warm blooded animals). Whereas, the male Anopheles mosquito feeds on the nectar from flowers.

Q: Tell us about your reproduction habits.

AM: My lifespan is so short that it is important to mate very often to maximize on time to produce as many eggs as possible  for my legacy to live on.  I need blood to ensure my babies’ existence.

Q: Do you consider yourself a vessel or a carrier?

AM: I  am a carrier of the parasite Malaria in humans and heartworms in animals.

Q: Do you think you are a danger to society?

AM: I am simply carrying out my life’s purpose but you need to protect yourself from me and others like me by keeping your environment clean!