Thank you for the many wonderful submissions to the coloring contest.

Every one of the submitted entries was unique, and it was interesting to see the different ways people perceived mosquitoes. I was honestly surprised by the many works brimming with ideas, and it was difficult to choose which one I thought was best.

So, how was it taking a closer look at the mosquito? Mosquitos are no doubt a nuisance carrying disease-causing factors and causing itchiness, but they are quite beautiful when you look closely at their long, slender legs and the intricate structures of their mouth. I sometimes wonder how this frail-looking creature are widespread around the world. This time, the coloring page featured an adult female mosquito—the form we are most familiar with—but I encourage you to think about what male mosquitos, larvae, and pupae look like. What do you think the mouth structures of male mosquitoes, which do not suck blood, look like? What do mosquito larvae and pupae look like and where can you find them? If you search for them, you can probably find them around you and may unexpectedly come across them next summer. Just be careful not to get bitten!

We are currently investigating how mosquitoes taste blood, how they become satiated (full), and how they can efficiently absorb the nutrients from large amounts of blood within minutes. If this kind of research progresses to a stage where we can create mosquitoes that do not feed on human blood, perhaps then we will be able to fully appreciate the beautiful form of mosquitoes.

HAMADA

Mare-ame

koto

rurimayu

hijiki

Komorebi

ouchan

RIKAO

minatojimamentaiko

mofmoffujimoto3

mi-chan