Mosquito: a small, midge-like fly; family: Culididae. The females of specific species of mosquitos are blood eating (ectoparasite, whose tube-like mouthparts pierce the hosts’ skin to consume blood). Many species of mosquitos are not blood suckers; those that are- only the females suck blood. The saliva of the mosquito often causes an irritating rash that can be a serious nuisance. Much more serious though, are the roles of many species of mosquitoes as vectors of diseases. In passing from host to host, some transmit extremely harmful infections such as malaria, yellow fever, Chikungunya, West Nile virus, dengue fever, filariasis, Zika virus and other arboviruses, rendering it the deadliest animal family in the world.