Which statement best describes mosquito biting behavior?

Which statement best describes mosquito biting behavior?

• A. Only females bite
• B. Males bite only
• C. Both sexes bite
• D. No mosquitoes bite

Answer: (C)

Only female mosquitoes bite because they need a blood meal to develop their eggs. They have a specialized proboscis and saliva that allow them to pierce the skin and extract blood, while their saliva contains proteins that prevent clotting to make feeding easier. Males, on the other hand, do not bite; they feed on nectar and do not have the adaptations for blood feeding. So the behavior described by the statement that both sexes bite isn’t accurate, and the idea that no mosquitoes bite or that only males bite also doesn’t fit the biology.

Only female mosquitoes bite because they need a blood meal to develop their eggs. They have a specialized proboscis and saliva that allow them to pierce the skin and extract blood, while their saliva contains proteins that prevent clotting to make feeding easier. Males, on the other hand, do not bite; they feed on nectar and do not have the adaptations for blood feeding. So the behavior described by the statement that both sexes bite isn’t accurate, and the idea that no mosquitoes bite or that only males bite also doesn’t fit the biology.