When this ornamented mosquito landed on Gil, he kept still and framed it, head on, with its proboscis poised. Focus-stacking six exposures highlighted its jewel-like body and iridescent wings. The bite, he admits, was rather painful.
Just four millimetres long, Sabethes mosquitoes are found in Central and South America. Only females bite, as they need a blood meal to produce eggs. Although mosquitoes can act as vectors for diseases, they also play a role in ecosystems, serving as pollinators and as food.
Israel / Canada
Gil is a naturalist and photographer with a love for small creatures. He has an MSc in zoology and entomology, specialising in animal behaviour, and aims to dispel concerns and misconceptions around arthropods. He is also a science communicator involved in educational programmes and displays using live arthropods. His work has been featured in many magazines, books, newspapers and broadcast media.
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