Tag: Honeydew

Legs covered in blue and purple sparkles with a gilded body, much larger than mosquitoes that we usually notice, the Elephant Mosquito, Toxorhynchites rutilus, is one mosquito that we should encourage.

The largest mosquito in North America, from tip to tip (of its legs) this mosquito measures one inch, and the adult female has a wing span of half an inch. That large size, and a proboscis that resembles an elephant’s trunk, gives this mosquito its common name. That proboscis is used for the gathering nectar from flowers.

Here is the REALLY good part (1), the Elephant Mosquito does not hunt humans down to get a blood meal. They won’t bite us as they cruise the gardens looking for sources of nectar. They won’t bite as they roam the neighborhood hunting for plant sap, honeydew, or juices from rotting fruit, which they also eat.

And REALLY good part (2), the larvae of Elephant Mosquitoes eat other mosquito larvae!

Wow! Include this insect on my list of best friends!