Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!att!chinet!arf
From: arf@chinet.chi.il.us (Jack Schmidling)
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: Re: What's the Why and How of Mosquito Bites?
Summary: detail left out
Message-ID: <9263@chinet.chi.il.us>
Date: 14 Aug 89 03:13:37 GMT
References: <5399@mtgzy.att.com> <4948@tank.uchicago.edu>
Organization: Chinet - Chicago, Ill.
Lines: 36


nti/e6 
 
Article 2376 (3 more) in sci.bio: 
From: scb1@tank.uchicago.edu (Sam Blackman) 
Subject: Re: What's the Why and How of Mosquito Bites? 
 
>>How does the mosquito benefit from it? 
 
Blackman says: 
 
>Well first off, only female mosquito's "bite" us.  What  
they are really doing is drawing blood from us.  The  
mosquito has a tube-like probiscus which is inserts into us  
(along with an anesthetic-type substance).  The 
mosquito then injects it's saliva and withdraws blood, which  
it uses as food. 
 
 ARF says: 
 
Just one detail you left out.  The saliva contains an  
anti-coagulant for reasons which should be obvious.  Also,  
the female needs one full blood meal per clutch of eggs.   
The blood provides the protein needed for egg production. 
 
This brings up an interesting discussion.......... 
 
Does anyone have any, non-political, "real" data on studies  
of AIDS transmission via blood sucking insects? 
 
Don't bother posting sanitized media hype or surgeon general  
dis-information. 
 
I am looking for source infomation. 
 
The Amateur Radio Forum (arf)