Portal:Arthropods

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The Arthropods Portal

Examples of the five arthropod subphyla
Two fossilised trilobites in a limestone slab.
Trilobitomorpha:
Kainops invius
A large garden spider waits in the centre of its web.
Chelicerata:
Araneus diadematus
A brown centipede with yellow legs and red antennae faces the viewer.
Myriapoda:
Scolopendra cingulata
A small fly with red eyes.
Hexapoda:
Drosophila melanogaster
A stocky crab with large claws.
Crustacea:
Cancer pagurus
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mineralised with calcium carbonate, a body with differentiated (metameric) segments, and paired jointed appendages. In order to keep growing, they must go through stages of moulting, a process by which they shed their exoskeleton
to reveal a new one. They are an extremely diverse group, with up to 10 million species.

The evolutionary ancestry of arthropods dates back to the

basal relationships of animals are not yet well resolved. Likewise, the relationships between various arthropod groups are still actively debated. Today, arthropods contribute to the human food supply both directly as food, and more importantly, indirectly as pollinators of crops. Some species are known to spread severe disease to humans, livestock, and crops. (Full article...
)

Featured
articles, which meet a core set of high editorial standards.

  • Image 1 Common household cockroaches A) German cockroach B) American cockroach C) Australian cockroach D&E) Oriental cockroach (♀ & ♂) Cockroaches (or roaches) are insects belonging to the order Blattodea (Blattaria). About 30 cockroach species out of 4,600 are associated with human habitats. Some species are well-known pests. The cockroaches are an ancient group, with their ancestors, known as "roachoids", originating during the Carboniferous period, some 320 million years ago. Those early ancestors, however, lacked the internal ovipositors of modern roaches. Cockroaches are somewhat generalized insects lacking special adaptations (such as the sucking mouthparts of aphids and other true bugs); they have chewing mouthparts and are probably among the most primitive of living Neopteran insects. They are common and hardy insects capable of tolerating a wide range of climates, from Arctic cold to tropical heat. Tropical cockroaches are often much larger than temperate species. Modern cockroaches are not considered to be a monophyletic group, as it has been found based on genetics that termites are deeply nested within the group, with some groups of cockroaches more closely related to termites than they are to other cockroaches, thus rendering Blattaria paraphyletic. Both cockroaches and termites are included into Blattodea. (Full article...)

    paraphyletic. Both cockroaches and termites are included into Blattodea. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 2 Restoration of the pretelson and telson of H. suecicus, showing the cercal blades, following Kjellesvig-Waering (1979) Holmipterus is a problematic genus of eurypterid, an extinct group of aquatic arthropods. The type and only species of Holmipterus, H. suecicus, is known from deposits of Middle Silurian age in the Sweden. The generic name honours Gerhard Holm [sv], a renowned Swedish palaeontologist specialising in arthropods and crustaceans, and the species name suecicus is Latin for 'Swedish'. Although Holmipterus was a large eurypterid and is known from multiple, albeit partial and fragmentary, specimens, it has proven difficult to determine where it fits in the eurypterid family tree. This is due to the fossil material referred to Holmipterus combining traits seen in different eurypterid groups, such as the Carcinosomatidae and Megalograptidae, and has some distinctive features, such as a telson (the posteriormost division of the body) with two articulating 'cercal blades', forming an organ capable of grasping. Though often classified either as a carcinosomatid or megalograptid, Holmipterus has also been classified as a genus of uncertain affinity within the Eurypterina suborder, or within the entire Eurypterida order. It is possible that the original 1979 description of Holmipterus suecicus reconstructed the telson inaccurately, and/or mistakenly combined fossil material actually belonging to two different genera. (Full article...)

    crustaceans, and the species name suecicus is Latin for 'Swedish'.

    Although Holmipterus was a large eurypterid and is known from multiple, albeit partial and fragmentary, specimens, it has proven difficult to determine where it fits in the eurypterid family tree. This is due to the fossil material referred to Holmipterus combining traits seen in different eurypterid groups, such as the Carcinosomatidae and Megalograptidae, and has some distinctive features, such as a telson (the posteriormost division of the body) with two articulating 'cercal blades', forming an organ capable of grasping. Though often classified either as a carcinosomatid or megalograptid, Holmipterus has also been classified as a genus of uncertain affinity within the Eurypterina suborder, or within the entire Eurypterida order. It is possible that the original 1979 description of Holmipterus suecicus reconstructed the telson inaccurately, and/or mistakenly combined fossil material actually belonging to two different genera. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 3 Fossils of Hughmilleria socialis Hughmilleriidae (the name deriving from the type genus Hughmilleria, which is named in honor of Scottish geologist Hugh Miller) is a family of eurypterids, an extinct group of aquatic arthropods. The hughmilleriids were the most basal members of the superfamily Pterygotioidea, in contrast with the more derived (more "advanced") families Pterygotidae and Slimonidae. Despite their classification as pterygotioids, the hughmilleriids possessed several characteristics shared with other eurypterid groups, such as the lanceolate telson (the most posterior segment of the body). Hughmilleriids are defined as pterygotioid eurypterids with swimming legs similar to those of the type genus, Hughmilleria (that is, 7th and 8th leg segments narrow and 9th segment very small), and whose second to fifth pair of appendages were spiniferous. Some further diagnostic characters unite the group, such as the slightly enlarged chelicerae (frontal appendages) and the streamlined shape of their bodies. The family contains only two genera, Hughmilleria and Herefordopterus, though other genera have been referred to the family in the past, such as genera now considered part of families such as the Mycteroptidae and the Waeringopteridae. The hughmilleriids were the most basal group of pterygotioid eurypterids, lacking the derived features that would come to evolve in the Slimonidae and Pterygotidae, such as flattened and expanded telsons (the posteriormost segment of the body, this feature is shared by both derived families) and enlarged cheliceral claws (exclusive to the pterygotids). In spite of the great similarity of both genera, Herefordopterus had derived characteristics that suggest a close relationship with Slimonidae and Pterygotidae, such as the marginal ornamentation of the telson. On the other hand, Hughmilleria had certain resemblance to the basal adelophthalmid Eysyslopterus, sharing a triangular anterior carapace margin, possibly a plesiomorphic (of a common ancestor) trait. (Full article...)

    plesiomorphic (of a common ancestor) trait. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 4 Life cycle of the Polish cochineal in Breyne's Historia naturalis Cocci Radicum... (1731) Polish cochineal (Porphyrophora polonica, Margarodes polonicus), also known as Polish carmine scales (Polish: czerwiec polski), is a scale insect formerly used to produce a crimson dye of the same name, colloquially known as "Saint John's blood". The larvae of P. polonica are sessile parasites living on the roots of various herbs – especially those of the perennial knawel (Polish: czerwiec trwały) – growing on the sandy soils of Central Europe and other parts of Eurasia. Before the development of aniline, alizarin, and other synthetic dyes, the insect was of great economic importance, although its use was in decline after the introduction of Mexican cochineal to Europe in the 16th century. Historically earlier was used Armenian cochineal scale insect, Porphyrophora hamelii, which is in a same taxonomic family Porphyrophora of the Polish cochineal and in different taxonomic family from cochineal found in the Americas. (Full article...)

    perennial knawel (Polish: czerwiec trwały) – growing on the sandy soils of Central Europe and other parts of Eurasia. Before the development of aniline, alizarin, and other synthetic dyes, the insect was of great economic importance, although its use was in decline after the introduction of Mexican cochineal to Europe in the 16th century. Historically earlier was used Armenian cochineal scale insect, Porphyrophora hamelii, which is in a same taxonomic family Porphyrophora of the Polish cochineal and in different taxonomic family from cochineal found in the Americas. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 5 A. decolor Ameles decolor (also known as the Mediterranean dwarf mantis or the dwarf mantis) is a species of small praying mantis native to the west Mediterranean and North Africa. A. decolor was first described by entomologist Domenico Cyrillo in 1787, and its current classification was established in 1976 by Karl Harz and Alfred Peter Kaltenbach. A. decolor presents as a small, light brown mantis with females tending to appear larger than their male counterparts. The mating patterns of A. decolor are considered some of the most complex amongst praying mantises, with males presenting two different styles of courtship. Their habitat favours shrublands, grasslands, and wooded areas. (Full article...)

    praying mantis native to the west Mediterranean and North Africa. A. decolor was first described by entomologist Domenico Cyrillo in 1787, and its current classification was established in 1976 by Karl Harz and Alfred Peter Kaltenbach. A. decolor presents as a small, light brown mantis with females tending to appear larger than their male counterparts. The mating patterns of A. decolor are considered some of the most complex amongst praying mantises, with males presenting two different styles of courtship. Their habitat favours shrublands, grasslands, and wooded areas. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 6 Fire ants Ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cretaceous period. More than 13,800 of an estimated total of 22,000 species have been classified. They are easily identified by their geniculate (elbowed) antennae and the distinctive node-like structure that forms their slender waists. Ants form colonies that range in size from a few dozen predatory individuals living in small natural cavities to highly organised colonies that may occupy large territories and consist of millions of individuals. Larger colonies consist of various castes of sterile, wingless females, most of which are workers (ergates), as well as soldiers (dinergates) and other specialised groups. Nearly all ant colonies also have some fertile males called "drones" and one or more fertile females called "queens" (gynes). The colonies are described as superorganisms because the ants appear to operate as a unified entity, collectively working together to support the colony. Ants have colonised almost every landmass on Earth. The only places lacking indigenous ants are Antarctica and a few remote or inhospitable islands. Ants thrive in moist tropical ecosystems and may exceed the combined biomass of wild birds and mammals. Their success in so many environments has been attributed to their social organisation and their ability to modify habitats, tap resources, and defend themselves. Their long co-evolution with other species has led to mimetic, commensal, parasitic, and mutualistic relationships. (Full article...)

    co-evolution with other species has led to mimetic, commensal, parasitic, and mutualistic relationships. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 7 C. citricola from Portugal Cyrtophora citricola, also known as the tropical tent-web spider, is an orb-weaver spider in the family Araneidae. It is found in Asia, Africa, Australia, Costa Rica, Hispaniola, Colombia, and Southern Europe and in 2000, it was discovered in Florida. C. citricola differs from many of its close relatives due its ability to live in a wide variety of environments. In North America and South America, the spider has caused extensive damage to agricultural operations. C. citricola is in the orb web spider family, but its orb webs are considered atypical. They have a thick silk strand barrier above the orb and a thinner barrier below the orb. This gives the webs a horizontal mesh-like appearance. The spider has developed distinct and specific prey-capturing techniques using its unconventional webs. The prey flies into the upper mesh layer of the web and is deflected into the orb web. The spider then collects and stores the prey in its web. The difference in C. citricola's web silk stems from physiological variations in its spinning apparatuses, as compared to other closely related species. Its webs are non-adhesive and do not require daily respinning. This spider is one of the few species to exhibit a variable level of sociality. C. citricola can be seen in colonies, which may have arisen due to reduced predation. Within these colonies, each spider has its own web that is linked to other spiders through communal webbing. The spider webs are often built in large matrices next to one another and can span entire trees. The spider usually peacefully coexists with other spiders in the colony. However, at times the spider may have to ward off other spiders in the colony that may try and claim its web. (Full article...)

    C. citricola from Portugal

    Cyrtophora citricola, also known as the tropical tent-web spider, is an orb-weaver spider in the family Araneidae. It is found in Asia, Africa, Australia, Costa Rica, Hispaniola, Colombia, and Southern Europe and in 2000, it was discovered in Florida. C. citricola differs from many of its close relatives due its ability to live in a wide variety of environments. In North America and South America, the spider has caused extensive damage to agricultural operations.

    C. citricola is in the orb web spider family, but its orb webs are considered atypical. They have a thick silk strand barrier above the orb and a thinner barrier below the orb. This gives the webs a horizontal mesh-like appearance. The spider has developed distinct and specific prey-capturing techniques using its unconventional webs. The prey flies into the upper mesh layer of the web and is deflected into the orb web. The spider then collects and stores the prey in its web. The difference in C. citricola's web silk stems from physiological variations in its spinning apparatuses, as compared to other closely related species. Its webs are non-adhesive and do not require daily respinning.

    This spider is one of the few species to exhibit a variable level of sociality. C. citricola can be seen in colonies, which may have arisen due to reduced predation. Within these colonies, each spider has its own web that is linked to other spiders through communal webbing. The spider webs are often built in large matrices next to one another and can span entire trees. The spider usually peacefully coexists with other spiders in the colony. However, at times the spider may have to ward off other spiders in the colony that may try and claim its web. (Full article...)
  • Image 8 Cimex lectularius The Cimicidae are a family of small parasitic bugs that feed exclusively on the blood of warm-blooded animals. They are called cimicids or, loosely, bed bugs, though the latter term properly refers to the most well-known member of the family, Cimex lectularius, the common bed bug and its tropical relation Cimex hemipterus. The family contains over 100 species. Cimicids appeared in the fossil record in the Cretaceous period. When bats evolved in the Eocene, Cimicids switched hosts and now feed mainly on bats or birds. Members of the group have colonised humans on three occasions. Cimicids usually feed on their host's blood every three to seven days, crawling away from the host and hiding while they digest the blood, which may take several days. This means that they specialise in vertebrate hosts that return regularly to particular sites to nest, roost or sleep. Birds and bats suit these specific requirements, as do humans now that they live in dwellings, and these are the main hosts used by the bugs. Most cimicids are able to go for long periods without feeding, over a year in some instances. Cimicids are typically small, oval, flattened, wingless insects. They are stimulated to appear from their hiding places by cues such as a slight rise in the temperature of their surroundings. Among the family's distinctive characteristics are traumatic insemination, in which the male fertilises the eggs by piercing the female's abdominal wall with his intromittent organ. They also have distinctive paired structures called mycetomes inside their bodies, in which they harbour bacterial symbionts: these may help them to obtain nutrients they cannot get from blood. Although the insects may acquire viruses and other pathogens while feeding, these do not normally replicate inside the insect, and the infections are not transmitted to new hosts. (Full article...)

    common bed bug and its tropical relation Cimex hemipterus. The family contains over 100 species. Cimicids appeared in the fossil record in the Cretaceous period. When bats evolved in the Eocene, Cimicids switched hosts and now feed mainly on bats or birds. Members of the group have colonised humans on three occasions.

    Cimicids usually feed on their host's blood every three to seven days, crawling away from the host and hiding while they digest the blood, which may take several days. This means that they specialise in vertebrate hosts that return regularly to particular sites to nest, roost or sleep. Birds and bats suit these specific requirements, as do humans now that they live in dwellings, and these are the main hosts used by the bugs. Most cimicids are able to go for long periods without feeding, over a year in some instances.

    Cimicids are typically small, oval, flattened, wingless insects. They are stimulated to appear from their hiding places by cues such as a slight rise in the temperature of their surroundings. Among the family's distinctive characteristics are traumatic insemination, in which the male fertilises the eggs by piercing the female's abdominal wall with his intromittent organ. They also have distinctive paired structures called mycetomes inside their bodies, in which they harbour bacterial symbionts: these may help them to obtain nutrients they cannot get from blood. Although the insects may acquire viruses and other pathogens while feeding, these do not normally replicate inside the insect, and the infections are not transmitted to new hosts. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 9 Fossil specimen of C. ventricosus Ciurcopterus is a genus of eurypterid, an extinct group of aquatic arthropods. Fossils of Ciurcopterus have been discovered in deposits of Late Silurian age in North America. Classified as part of the family Pterygotidae, the genus contains two species, C. sarlei from Pittsford, New York and C. ventricosus from Kokomo, Indiana. The genus is named in honor of Samuel J. Ciurca, Jr., who has contributed significantly to eurypterid research by discovering a large amount of eurypterid specimens, including the four specimens used to describe Ciurcopterus itself. Ciurcopterus is the most basal (primitive) known member of the Pterygotidae, and combined characteristics of more derived members of the family with features of close relatives of the group, such as Slimonia. Measuring 70 centimetres (28 inches) in length, Ciurcopterus was relatively large though smaller than many of the later members of its family, which would grow to become the largest known arthropods to have ever lived. (Full article...)

    derived members of the family with features of close relatives of the group, such as Slimonia. Measuring 70 centimetres (28 inches) in length, Ciurcopterus was relatively large though smaller than many of the later members of its family, which would grow to become the largest known arthropods to have ever lived. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 10 Ochetellus glaber worker Ochetellus is a genus of ants first described by Steve Shattuck in 1992. He placed it in the subfamily Dolichoderinae of the family Formicidae. The ants in this genus are small and black in colour; workers measure 1.75 to 3 millimetres (0.07 to 0.12 in) in length, the males at around 1.6 millimetres (0.06 in) are smaller, and the queens are the largest, reaching 4 millimetres (0.16 in). There are seven described species and three described subspecies that mostly live in Australia in a wide variety of habitats, but some species are found in Asia. One species, Ochetellus glaber, has been introduced into New Zealand and the United States. The colonies are found in rotten wood, in the ground, under rocks or stones and in urban areas. The ants are both diurnal and nocturnal and forage on trees, in low vegetation and into human homes, where they are regarded as pests. These ants eat a variety of foods, including fruits, insects, sucrose, nectar and bird feces. They visit various flowers and attend to a variety of butterfly larvae. The thorny devil, an Australian lizard, predominantly feeds on Ochetellus workers, and other ant species also prey on them. (Full article...)

    thorny devil, an Australian lizard, predominantly feeds on Ochetellus workers, and other ant species also prey on them. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 11 Fossil of Eusarcana Carcinosomatidae (the name deriving from the type genus Carcinosoma, meaning "crab body") is a family of eurypterids, an extinct group of aquatic arthropods. They were members of the superfamily Carcinosomatoidea, also named after Carcinosoma. Fossils of carcinosomatids have been found in North America, Europe and Asia, the family possibly having achieved a worldwide distribution, and range in age from the Late Ordovician to the Early Devonian. They were among the most marine eurypterids, known almost entirely from marine environments. Carcinosomatids varied considerably in size, from species only a few centimetres in length to some of the largest known arthropods. The largest carcinosomatid species, Carcinosoma punctatum, reached lengths of at least 2.2 metres (7.2 ft) and rivalled the largest eurypterid of all, Jaekelopterus, in size. Morphologically, carcinosomatids were highly distinct from other eurypterids, known for their powerful and spiny set of forelimbs, a broad and rounded central body and a slender and tubular tail ending in a telson (the posteriormost division of the body) that was typically curved in some way. With these adaptations, the carcinosomatids were quite similar to scorpions, and the group may have helped contribute to the common name of eurypterids becoming 'sea scorpions'. The family contains four, possibly five, genera: Carcinosoma, Eocarcinosoma, Eusarcana, Rhinocarcinosoma and possibly the problematic genus Holmipterus. It is unlikely that the carcinosomatids were strong and active swimmers, given their non-streamlined shape. It is more probable that they were nektobenthic (swimming near the bottom), possibly being top predators (given their size) or scavengers, digging for food or perhaps even burrowing and lying in wait as ambush predators. (Full article...)

    scavengers, digging for food or perhaps even burrowing and lying in wait as ambush predators. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 12 Fossils of H. socialis. Hughmilleria is a genus of eurypterid, an extinct group of aquatic arthropods. Fossils of Hughmilleria have been discovered in deposits of the Silurian age in China and the United States. Classified as part of the basal family Hughmilleriidae, the genus contains three species, H. shawangunk from the eastern United States, H. socialis from Pittsford, New York, and H. wangi from Hunan, China. The genus is named in honor of the Scottish geologist Hugh Miller. H. socialis is the type species of Hughmilleriidae, a eurypterid family classified in the superfamily Pterygotioidea that is differentiated by their streamlined bodies, the enlargement of their medium-sized chelicerae and the presence of paired spines on the walking appendages. With the biggest specimen measuring 20 centimetres (8 inches) in length, Hughmilleria is considered a eurypterid of small size. (Full article...)

    Fossils of H. socialis.

    Hughmilleria is a genus of eurypterid, an extinct group of aquatic arthropods. Fossils of Hughmilleria have been discovered in deposits of the Silurian age in China and the United States. Classified as part of the basal family Hughmilleriidae, the genus contains three species, H. shawangunk from the eastern United States, H. socialis from Pittsford, New York, and H. wangi from Hunan, China. The genus is named in honor of the Scottish geologist Hugh Miller.

    H. socialis is the type species of Hughmilleriidae, a eurypterid family classified in the superfamily Pterygotioidea that is differentiated by their streamlined bodies, the enlargement of their medium-sized chelicerae and the presence of paired spines on the walking appendages. With the biggest specimen measuring 20 centimetres (8 inches) in length, Hughmilleria is considered a eurypterid of small size. (Full article...)
  • Image 13 Scanning electron micrograph Flea, the common name for the order Siphonaptera, includes 2,500 species of small flightless insects that live as external parasites of mammals and birds. Fleas live by ingesting the blood of their hosts. Adult fleas grow to about 3 millimetres (1⁄8 inch) long, are usually brown, and have bodies that are "flattened" sideways or narrow, enabling them to move through their hosts' fur or feathers. They lack wings; their hind legs are extremely well adapted for jumping. Their claws keep them from being dislodged, and their mouthparts are adapted for piercing skin and sucking blood. They can leap 50 times their body length, a feat second only to jumps made by another group of insects, the superfamily of froghoppers. Flea larvae are worm-like, with no limbs; they have chewing mouthparts and feed on organic debris left on their hosts' skin. Genetic evidence indicates that fleas are a specialised lineage of parasitic scorpionflies (Mecoptera) sensu lato, most closely related to the family Nannochoristidae. The earliest known fleas lived in the Middle Jurassic; modern-looking forms appeared in the Cenozoic. Fleas probably originated on mammals first and expanded their reach to birds. Each species of flea specializes, more or less, on one species of host: many species of flea never breed on any other host; some are less selective. Some families of fleas are exclusive to a single host group; for example, the Malacopsyllidae are found only on armadillos, the Ischnopsyllidae only on bats, and the Chimaeropsyllidae only on elephant shrews. The oriental rat flea, Xenopsylla cheopis, is a vector of Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes bubonic plague. The disease was spread to humans by rodents, such as the black rat, which were bitten by infected fleas. Major outbreaks included the Plague of Justinian, about 540, and the Black Death, about 1350, each of which killed a sizeable fraction of the world's people. (Full article...)

    bacterium that causes bubonic plague. The disease was spread to humans by rodents, such as the black rat, which were bitten by infected fleas. Major outbreaks included the Plague of Justinian, about 540, and the Black Death, about 1350, each of which killed a sizeable fraction of the world's people. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 14 Male Trogloraptor marchingtoni Trogloraptor is a genus of large spiders found in the caves of southwestern Oregon. It is the sole genus in the family Trogloraptoridae, and includes only one species, Trogloraptor marchingtoni. These spiders are predominantly yellow-brown in color with a maximum leg span of 3 in (7.6 cm). They are remarkable for having hook-like claws on the raptorial last segments of their legs. Trogloraptor belongs to one of only three new spider families described since 1990. The specific name is in honor of the amateur cave biologist and deputy sheriff Neil Marchington. (Full article...)

    sole genus in the family Trogloraptoridae, and includes only one species, Trogloraptor marchingtoni. These spiders are predominantly yellow-brown in color with a maximum leg span of 3 in (7.6 cm). They are remarkable for having hook-like claws on the raptorial last segments of their legs.

    Trogloraptor belongs to one of only three new spider families described since 1990. The specific name is in honor of the amateur cave biologist and deputy sheriff Neil Marchington. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 15 Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes, the Culicidae, are a family of small flies consisting of 3,600 species. The word mosquito (formed by mosca and diminutive -ito) is Spanish and Portuguese for little fly. Mosquitoes have a slender segmented body, one pair of wings, three pairs of long hair-like legs, and specialized, highly elongated, piercing-sucking mouthparts. All mosquitoes drink nectar from flowers; females of some species have in addition adapted to drink blood. Evolutionary biologists view mosquitoes as micropredators, small animals that parasitise larger ones by drinking their blood without immediately killing them. Medical parasitologists view mosquitoes instead as vectors of disease, carrying protozoan parasites or bacterial or viral pathogens from one host to another. The mosquito life cycle consists of four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Eggs are laid on the water surface; they hatch into motile larvae that feed on aquatic algae and organic material. These larvae are important food sources for many freshwater animals, such as dragonfly nymphs, many fish, and some birds. Adult females of many species have mouthparts adapted to pierce the skin of a host and feed on blood of a wide range of vertebrate hosts, and some invertebrates, primarily other arthropods. Some species only produce eggs after a blood meal. The mosquito's saliva is transferred to the host during the bite, and can cause an itchy rash. In addition, blood-feeding species can ingest pathogens while biting, and transmit them to other hosts. Those species include vectors of parasitic diseases such as malaria and filariasis, and arboviral diseases such as yellow fever and dengue fever. By transmitting diseases, mosquitoes cause the deaths of over 725,000 people each year. (Full article...)

    arboviral diseases such as yellow fever and dengue fever. By transmitting diseases, mosquitoes cause the deaths of over 725,000 people each year. (Full article...
    )
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Lepas anserifera (Crustacea: Cirripedia: Lepadidae)
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