Examining Mosquitoes Under A Kids Microscope
Mosquitoes are one of the most annoying insects that has inhabited the planet. At the same time, they are one of the most menacing to humans as they carry with them various diseases like dengue and malaria. Despite its annoying nature, you may find it interesting as well as educational to examine one of these under insects under the kids stereo microscope.
First, let’s review something about microscopy. A kids microscope may be a simple compound light microscope as would often be found in a toy store or a science kit in a museum gift store. It gives higher power magnification, but is inefficient when looking at something very large such as a complete mosquito. The low power stereo microscope for kids is best for looking at a complete insect, but not good for looking at tiny microscopic parts of the insect under high power magnification.
Now, to proceed with our experiment: We have to catch a male and female mosquito. The most ideal process to catch one is to spray a room full of mosquitoes with an insect killer and wait until the air is fresh again. The challenging part probably comes when looking for the dead insects on the surfaces. Once you are able to obtain a male and female mosquito then we can start with comparing them under a low power stereo kids microscope.
Mosquitoes may look the same when we see them with the naked eye. However, under a low power stereo binocular microscope, we can note the differences between the male and female. For example, the female mouths have proboscis that are designed for sucking. Male mouths have blunt edges that are only for nectar-sucking. Only the female mosquito bites the host.
Another difference between a male and a female mosquito that can be seen under a child’s stereoscopic microscope is their antennae. A male’s antennae is hairier than that of a female’s. These antennae are highly developed organs that are used as sound receptors for the male to track the female for mating.
Aside from full-grown mosquitoes, another interesting member of the mosquito family that can be examined under the stereo microscope is its larvae. These young mosquitoes are found in almost any stagnant water that has been left outside during the summer months for too long.
“Wrigglers”, as they are most commonly called, are active in movements and need to be restrained with the use of a life slide. If we observe these wrigglers under the child’s stereo binocular microscope, we will notice that they come up to the surface once in a while. With its head hanging downward, they stick out what seems to be a breathing siphon up above the water. Because these insect larvae are not capable to live underwater, they have to come to the surface to breather every now and then.
A mosquito’s pupae look like humpbacked wrigglers. They are also found with the larvae and also have to breather air once in a while. They do this through a pair of siphons at their back that look like trumpets. Since both pupae and larvae have to go to the water’s surface to breathe air, it is an effective means to kill them by putting oil on the water. These microscopic creatures therefore will not be able to get through the oil film and eventually die.
Finally, we examine mosquito eggs. They can also be found where the larvae and pupae are found. Under a high power compound microscope, mosquito eggs look like clusters of balls that are shaped as a raft. Mosquitoes lay 100 – 400 eggs a day and these eggs hatch into pupae, go into a larvae stage wherein it eats other microorganisms until it matures to a mosquito.
Observing mosquitoes under the kid microscope helps high school and elementary students learn more about nature and the microscopic world around them. Children can also use a child’s microscope as would be found in a toy store for this science microscope activity.
