Using Water as an Effective Strategy

The wingbeat behavior of mosquitoes upon contact with water or aqueous surfactant solutions was observed using a high-speed camera. Compared with other flying insects, mosquitoes maintain precise flight and posture through their rapid wingbeats. When water was applied to a flying mosquito, it was able to repel the water with its wings and continue flying. In contrast, when an aqueous surfactant solution was applied, the wings became wetted and could no longer move, resulting in the mosquito being unable to fly. These observations demonstrate that spraying “water” containing surfactants immediately disrupts the precise flight behavior of mosquitoes and causes them to fall (video).