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Mosquitoes Sing Love Songs

By John Johnson, Newser Staff

Posted Jan 8, 2009 8:08 PM CST

(Newser) – Birds and bees get all the attention, but mosquitoes have some love moves all their own, scientists say. It seems that when a boy mosquito meets a girl and things turn romantic, their wings beat at precisely the same speed to create a sort of harmonic mating song, the BBC reports. Aww, very touching. Except: The only reason scientists are studying their mating habits is to figure out better ways to wipe them out.

"This opens up a whole new world for mosquito control," says a Cornell University professor and co-author of the paper in Science.

[Images (1)]

[Quotes (1)]

A mosquito digs in. (AP Photo)

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Malaria cases are at an all time high and emerging infections are increasing at an alarming rate. New strategies will only come with a clear understanding of mosquito behaviour. - Laura Harrington, Cornell University,
a co-author of the paper

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