Mosquito - Culicidae; mosquito

Japanese: カ(蚊) - カ（英語表記）Culicidae; mosquito

A general term for insects belonging to the Diptera family, Culicidae. Their bodies are thin and weak, covered entirely in scales. Their heads are small and nearly spherical, with most of the head being occupied by compound eyes. They have no ocelli. Their mouthparts protrude long and form a snout, which serves as an absorbing opening. Their antennae are thin and threadlike, with ringed hairs, and in males they are feather-like. Their legs are thin and very long. Their wings are also thin and long. They undergo complete metamorphosis, with the larvae being called bofura and the pupae being called onibofura. Most live in freshwater, but some species live in saltwater. About 100 species are known to be native to Japan, divided into three subfamilies: the Neocallinae (including the Culex quinquefasciatus, the Aedes mosquito, and others), the Occipitalia (including the only species in Japan, the Towada ocallinae), and the Anophelesinae (including the Anopheles mosquito). Females not only suck blood from mammals and birds, but are also important sanitary pests that transmit pathogens such as malaria, dengue fever, and Japanese encephalitis. On the other hand, there are also natural enemies that belong to the Culicidae family, such as the Japanese giant squid and the Japanese giant squid, which prey on the larvae of other mosquitoes (→ Diptera ).

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

双翅目カ科に属する昆虫の総称。体は細くて軟弱で全体が鱗毛におおわれる。頭部は小さくて球形に近く，大部分が複眼で占められる。単眼はない。口器は吻となって長く突出し，吸収口となっている。触角は細長く糸状で輪毛があり，雄では羽毛状。肢は細く非常に長い。翅も細長い。完全変態をし，幼虫はぼうふら，蛹は鬼ぼうふらと呼ばれ，大部分が淡水にすむが，塩水にすむ種もある。日本産はナミカ亜科 (イエカ，カクイカ，ヤブカなど) ，オオカ亜科 (日本最大のトワダオオカ 1種のみを含む) ，ハマダラカ亜科 (ハマダラカなど) の3亜科約 100種が知られている。雌は哺乳類や鳥類から吸血するばかりでなく，マラリア，デング熱，日本脳炎などの病原体を媒介する重要な衛生害虫である。他方，カ科に属しながらカクイカやトワダオオカのように他のカの幼虫 (ぼうふら) を捕食する天敵もある。 (→双翅類 ) 　

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