Mosquito pupa. Macrophotograph of a live pupa of the Culex molestus mosquito in water. This is a side view, with one of the two eyes (brown) at centre

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Mosquito pupa. Macrophotograph of a live pupa of the Culex molestus mosquito in water. This is a side view, with one of the two eyes (brown) at centre. The head bears two breathing tubes (upper centre), used when the mosquito periodically comes to the water's surface to breathe. The abdomen, which has seven segments, curves round at left and ends in swimming paddles (lower centre). The mosquito does not feed while in pupa form, because its mouthparts are changing from the larval to the adult form. After a few days an adult mosquito emerges from the pupal case. Magnification: x5 when printed at 10 centimetres wide.

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Size: 5125px × 3417px
Photo credit: © DR KEITH WHEELER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 1, alive, animal, aquatic, arthropod, biological, biology, breathing, culex, cycle, dark-field, darkfield, entomological, entomology, fauna, freshwater, illumination, insect, invertebrate, life, live, macrophotograph, molestus, mosquito, nature, paddles, pond, profile, pupa, pupal, side, single, spiracle, stage, swimming, tube, underwater, view, water, wildlife, zoological, zoology