From: Sophia Foster https://www.globe.gov/c/message_boards/find_thread?p_l_id=48620463&threadId=50223964 2026-09-20T13:46:27Z 2026-09-20T13:46:27Z Russanne Low https://www.globe.gov/c/message_boards/find_message?p_l_id=48620463&messageId=50223745 2018-11-09T16:13:55Z 2018-11-09T16:13:55Z

Hi Sophia, I see this as an evolution question- what are the advantages to survival for insects that spend part of their life cycle in water?<br /><br />&#34;Among the most notable characteristics of freshwaters are their more stable daily and seasonal temperatures compared with air and soil. Freshwaters occupy a low position on the landscape where they accumulate nutrients and detritus. Aquatic autotrophs are smaller (often unicellular), grow faster, and have a higher nutritional quality than land plants....  Because of their shape and size, freshwater systems have a large interface with adjacent terrestrial habitats. We estimate that over 70% of aquatic animal species including most insects have complex life cycles, providing great adaptability and the potential to disperse outside water.&#34;<br /><br />I found this in this article:<br /> Freshwater Biodiversity and Insect Diversification<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4816856/">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4816856/</a><br />Does this partially answer your question? We have to look at evolutionary data to create hypotheses that might answer hypothetical questions like these.<br />I&#39;ll keep thinking about this- thanks for your question- it was a good one! <br />Let me know if you find any answers too! Rusty<img src="https://ssl.gstatic.com/ui/v1/icons/mail/images/cleardot.gif" />

Russanne Low 2018-11-09T16:13:55Z Cassie Soeffing https://www.globe.gov/c/message_boards/find_message?p_l_id=48620463&messageId=50223963 2018-11-09T16:07:34Z 2018-11-09T16:06:39Z

Your Question : Why do mosquitoes lay their eggs in water and develop as larvae in water as well? How would mosquitoes be different if they didn’t lay eggs in water and instead layer them on leaves or in plants like, say, butterflies?<br />How does early developing in water affect how mosquitoes live later on as adults? Are there any characteristics mosquitoes share with other bugs and insects that lay eggs and carry out early development in water?

Cassie Soeffing 2018-11-09T16:06:39Z