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    What makes mosquitoes so good at getting under our skin?

    Mosquitoes kill more than a million people every year by transmitting diseases such as malaria and dengue fever, making the insects the animal kingdom’s most prolific killer of humans by a wide margin. But what makes them so good at getting through our skin to access our bloodstream? Part of KQED’s science documentary series Deep Look, this short video offers a close-up of how female mosquitoes use a sophisticated set of evolutionary tools – essentially, six ultra-sharp needles – to pierce our skin and suck our blood.

    Video by KQED Science and PBS Digital Studios

    Producer: Gabriela Quirós

    Narrator and Writer: Amy Standen

    27 June 2016
    Illustrated collage of a mosquito in the foreground, a woman and historical figures in the background, mixed media artwork.

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    A close-up of a rosy maple moth with yellow and pink furry body and wings, set against a pastel purple background.

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    Witness the majesty of moths taking flight at 6,000 frames per second

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