Mosquito Leg Under the Microscope
Mosquito Leg (Whole Mount), Culex sp.
This is a mosquito leg mounted whole and unstained. Mosquito legs are very long and thin and covered in scales, a good example of how leg shape differs among insects.
This whole mount shows a single leg from a Culex mosquito, left unstained so its natural brown color shows. The leg is long and thin and bends at joints between its segments, including the femur, the tibia, and the long tarsus, or foot, at the end. The surface is covered in tiny dark scales and fine hairs called setae. The scales help the mosquito shed water, so it can stand on a pond surface without sinking. Students can compare the lengths of the segments and see how an insect leg is built from hollow, jointed tubes.
What to look for
- Femur: A long segment near the body end of the leg.
- Tibia: A long, thin segment after the femur.
- Tarsus: A long chain of foot segments making up much of the leg's length.
- Scales: Tiny dark flat scales covering the leg.
- Claws: Small claws at the very tip.
Questions and answers
What does a mosquito leg look like under a microscope?
A mosquito leg is long, thin, and jointed, with a femur, tibia, and long tarsus ending in small claws. It is covered with tiny scales that give it a dark, sometimes banded look.
Why are mosquito legs covered in scales?
The scales help repel water, which lets mosquitoes stand on the surface of water to lay eggs without sinking. Scale patterns also help scientists identify mosquito species.
- Category
- Invertebrates
- Scan magnification
- 20x
- Stain
- Unstained
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.