Post #14230

<b>Antarctic mosquito: The only insect of the South Pole </b> Forget everything you know about mosquitoes. This one does not squeak, does not fly and does not drink blood. Moreover, it DIES at room temperature. Meet Belgica antarctica - the only true insect of Antarctica. 2-6 millimeters in size, but with incredible superpowers: it can lose 70% of moisture and survive, it can live for a month without oxygen. The color is lacquered black, the size is like a grain of rice. And most importantly: NO WINGS. Why did evolution take away their wings? Just think: with an Antarctic wind of 80-100 km/h, any winged little one will instantly be blown into the ocean. Wings in Antarctica are a death sentence. Life cycle - TWO YEARS. He spends almost two of these years as a larva frozen in ice. And only 7-10 days - an adult. The larvae feed on algae, fungi and penguin excrement. Adult mosquitoes DO NOT FEED AT ALL. They don't have a mouth to eat. Females mate on the first day of life, lay eggs and die. Two years of preparation for seven days of breeding. The Antarctic mosquito also has the smallest genome among all insects on the planet. He THROWED OUT everything unnecessary from DNA - every extra molecule requires energy, which is critically scarce in Antarctica. Most insects die after losing 20% ​​of their moisture. This one is experiencing 70% dehydration. In winter, the larva CONSCIOUSLY expels water from its body so as not to turn into ice. The body shrinks, metabolism freezes. In the spring it absorbs moisture back and lives on. Plus it accumulates natural antifreeze from sugars and lives for a month without oxygen, frozen in ice. Here's a paradox: the Antarctic mosquito CANNOT TOLERATE HEAT. The larvae die at +10°C within a week. At +30°C - in hours. Room temperature is lethal. They adapted to the cold so much that they lost the ability to live in warmth. But at −15°C it’s normal. Irony: Antarctica's only insect will go extinct if the continent gets warmer. And this happens. Temperatures are rising, winters are getting warmer. In cold winters, 50% of the larvae survive; in warm winters, only 30%. Warm autumn does not allow the accumulation of energy; the larvae hibernate exhausted and do not survive until spring. The mosquito has NO PREDATORS. There is no one to eat it. No parasites or diseases - too cold. The only enemies are cold, ultraviolet radiation and dehydration. The Antarctic mosquito is a living paradox. A mosquito without wings that doesn't bite. An insect that dies in heat but thrives in ice. Two years of life for seven days of love. Belgica antarctica is proof that life can exist where it seems impossible. The result of 40 million years of evolution in the harshest place on the planet. And now, as Antarctica warms, this little black mosquito is one of the first to disappear. Because he was too well adapted to the cold to survive in the warmth. <b>🏀 Hit the hoop and get an NFT gift — </b><b>https://t.me/BasketbolX_bot