Who knew that even at such an early stage in their lives, these insects are already killing it (quite literally).
In research that spanned over a decade, scientists have finally published their findings on how mosquito larvae actually get their prey for nourishment. It turns out that these baby insects react with lightning speed.
As published in the journal Annals of the Entomological Society of America, the researchers showed that two species of mosquitos, namely, Toxorhynchites amboinensis and Psorophora ciliata display unique mannerisms when it comes to hunting their prey.
The larvae of these insects can launch their heads to snap up a meal in just 15 milliseconds.
This was found through high-speed film footage obtained by the researchers.
According to lead study author Robert Hancock, it was all just a blur to them. "We all saw a blur; then we saw a captured larva being shoveled into the mouth of a predator. That's all we saw," he said.
Image credit: Hancock et.al