Mosquitoes – The Deadliest Animals on Earth

Mosquitoes – The Deadliest Animals on Earth

January 29, 2020, at 6:00 PM
Dubrovnik Natural History Museum

Exhibition Opening

Mosquitoes – The Deadliest Animals on Earth

The exhibition presents valuable mosquito collections from Croatia, highlighting the key biological characteristics of this important group of disease vectors. Visitors can also explore the mosquito life cycle through an aquarium display designed to illustrate the morphology of different developmental stages. The exhibition showcases invasive mosquito species, their pathways of introduction, and their significant potential for transmitting diseases. Various mosquito control methods used in Croatia are also presented, covering different stages of mosquito development. The exhibition experience is further enhanced through holographic technology, which provides an innovative and effective way to visualize these tiny organisms.

Did you know?
• Mosquitoes cause more human deaths than any other animal on Earth. They transmit diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, West Nile fever, and many others.
• Approximately half of the world’s population is continuously exposed to a high risk of mosquito-borne diseases.
• More than 3,500 mosquito species belonging to 113 genera have been described to date.
• Humans have attempted to control mosquito populations throughout history, but no method has yet provided a permanent solution.
• The fish species Gambusia affinis and Gambusia holbrooki are effective mosquito predators, but they can negatively impact native fish populations as well as zooplankton, insect, and crustacean communities.
• Only female mosquitoes feed on blood, which they require for egg development, while males feed on nectar.