The world's most beautiful mosquito species is sought after by photographers

The slim, well-proportioned body, colorful and iridescent appearance help Sabethes mosquitoes become the " queen " in the world of mosquitoes, and also become the object of the hunt for photographers and biologists. pick up.

The photo was taken by Gil Wizen who spent a lot of time hunting - (Photo: Gil Wizen)

Scientist and photographer Gil Wizen (Canadian) spent months in the Amazon jungle in Ecuador just to find and take impressive photos of the unique mosquito species Sabethes.

They are quite common in Central and South America, often considered the "most beautiful" mosquito in the world . Their body from the trunk to the wings, the legs all have a beautiful, sparkling color. This is also a "weapon" for males to flirt with their mates when it's mating season. 

Gil's photo is participating in the 2021 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition and is currently one of the candidates for the most impressive photo category.

As an entomologist, Gil is passionate about special species like the Sabethes mosquito. Despite having a lot of experience, capturing a perfect picture of this "world's most beautiful" mosquito is not simple, requiring ingenuity, patience, and even pain.

Under the light, its body emits iridescent colors, making the viewer fascinate and immediately attracted. The hind legs that bend over the mosquito's body when it is feeding are also impressive and help create Sabethes' majestic appearance.

Seeing the beauty of Sabethes with your own eyes is very special, as this mosquito is known to be extremely "sly" and difficult to take good photos, so it has become a subject of photographers. , biologists welcome.

According to Gil, Sabethes mosquitoes are extremely agile. In the temperature and humidity conditions of the Amazon rainforest, mosquitoes will react when detecting the slightest signs of movement of creatures and ambient light.

"This means you have to stand still when photographing Sabethes mosquitoes. But luckily it won't be just you and one mosquito, often dozens or even hundreds flying around you , " Gil said.

Sabethes' iridescent colorful body - (Photo: Flickr).

Despite its charming beauty, Sabethes mosquitoes are a threat to indigenous people or forest experts . They are vectors of many tropical diseases , such as yellow fever and dengue fever.

Every year, many scientists have contracted diseases through Sabethes mosquitoes while spending time doing research in the Amazon. Especially for photographers, many people even expose themselves to mosquito bites to get satisfactory pictures.

Iridescent colors help mosquitoes easily attract mates - (Image: Flickr)

Close-up of Sabethes' smooth leg hair - (Image: GETTY IMAGES)

Although beautiful, Sabethes mosquitoes are the intermediate objects of many dangerous diseases - (Photo: Flickr)

Like more than 3,300 different species of mosquitoes known around the world, only female Sabethes feed on blood, the rest of the time they feed on nectar.

Whenever they feed, their hind legs bend forward, not as a pose but because the legs have sensation, they detect movement and allow themselves to flee in case of danger.