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Mosquito Murderers
07 August 2016

Mosquito Murderers

Mosquitoes are bad news, responsible for transmitting serious diseases such as malaria, dengue and Zika virus. But they’re not invincible, and can be infected with a deadly fungus called Metarhizium brunneum, which can kill adult mosquitoes as well as their larvae. The fungus comes in several forms, but these small rod-shaped spores – seen here clinging to the skin of a mosquito larva under a high-powered electron microscope – are the most potent. They’re found in water where mosquitoes breed, attaching to the larvae by producing a thick, sticky mucus and working their way inside. As well as getting in through the skin, the spores can also be eaten, eventually bursting through the wall of the insect’s gut and causing so much damage that infected larvae quickly die. They may be brutal killers but they’re highly effective, so maybe they could have a role as a biological pesticide against their mosquito hosts.

Written by Kat Arney

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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