Mosquitoes are hardy insects, having been around for at least 210 million years. Researchers have found a mosquito encased in 79 million year old amber that closely resembles the modern species. The word mosquito is Spanish for “little fly” and reportedly originated in the early 16th century.
Mosquitoes have a head with two large compound eyes, a thorax, a pair of scaled wings, six legs, antennae and a proboscis.