The common mosquito is, at first glance, a pathetic- creature. Weighing, on average (and on an empty stomach), less than two milligrams, it's laughably small. It's so fragile even the slightest breeze can send it spiral-ing into oblivion. A human, when irritated, may crush it effortlessly between his or her fingertips. Upon closer inspection, however, this winged insect is anything but a pushover. The females of some species will fly miles for a blood meal. Others carry deadly diseases like malaria, encephalitis and yellow fever. Swarms of the biters have driven caribou off cliffs, backpackers to the brink of insanity.
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