Mosquito Wings Under the Microscope
Mosquito Wings (Whole Mount), Culex pipiens
This is a mosquito wing mounted whole and unstained. Mosquito wings have scales along the veins and a fringe of scales on the edge, which is one way to tell them from other small flies.
A whole mount (W.M.) preparation of a mosquito wing (labeled Mosquito Wings W.M.). The slide displays characteristic dipteran wing venation along with fine microtrichia and scales along the wing margins and veins.
What to look for
- Wing membrane: The thin, clear sheet of the wing.
- Veins: Long veins running from the base toward the tip.
- Scales on veins: Tiny flat scales lined up along the veins.
- Fringe: A row of scales along the rear edge of the wing.
- Microtrichia: Tiny hairs on the membrane, visible at high power.
At each magnification
Low power (about 4x)
The long, narrow wing with its vein pattern.
Medium power (about 10x)
Scales lined up along the veins and the fringe on the edge.
High power (about 40x)
The shape of individual scales.
Questions and answers
What does a mosquito wing look like under a microscope?
A mosquito wing is long and narrow, with veins covered in tiny scales and a fringe of scales along its back edge. These scales are a key feature of mosquitoes.
How fast do mosquitoes beat their wings?
Mosquitoes beat their wings hundreds of times per second, which makes their high-pitched buzz.
- Category
- Invertebrates
- Scan magnification
- 20x
- Stain
- Unstained
- Tags
- Mosquito Wings W.M., Mosquito wings w.m., Mosquito wings whole mount, Mosquito wing w.m., Mosquito wing, Mosquito wings
Viewing this slide in class
This is a scan of a real prepared slide, not a simulation or a drawing. On StudyScope you can pan from the whole slide down to individual structures, always in focus, and measure them in real micrometers with the calibrated ruler. Present it live and every student screen follows your view and annotations. Students join with a room code on Chromebooks, iPads, or any browser, with no accounts.