Opifex fuscus is a species of mosquito that is endemic to New Zealand. They occur along the coast, where their larvae live in rock pools within the spray zone. To survive in this habitat, the larvae are able to tolerate a wide range of water salt concentrations. The larvae feed on algae and decomposing matter. They also have mouthparts that specialise towards either filter feeding or grazing, depending on what food sources are available to them. As adults the females feed on the blood of birds and humans. They have an unusual mating system where the males wait on the surface of the rock pools and mate with female pupae before they have matured into adults. They are widespread throughout the rocky coasts of New Zealand but have been displaced from the Otago region by the introduced species Aedes australis. The larvae are also known to be infected by the fungus Coelomomyces psorophorae, which uses copepods as intermediate hosts. (Full article...).

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opifex_fuscus

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1856:

Queen Victoria introduced the Victoria Cross, originally to recognise acts of valour by British military personnel during the Crimean War. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Cross

1891:

Liliʻuokalani, the last monarch and only queen regnant of the Hawaiian Kingdom, ascended the throne. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lili%CA%BBuokalani

1911:

Mexican Revolution: The Magonista rebellion began when Mexican Liberal Party troops captured the town of Mexicali. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magonista_rebellion_of_1911

1991:

The first major ground engagement of the Gulf War began with the Iraqi invasion of Khafji, Saudi Arabia, recaptured three days later by Coalition forces. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Khafji

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

raven: 1. (countable) Any of several, generally large, species of birds in the genus Corvus with lustrous black plumage; especially the common raven (Corvus corax). 2. (uncountable) A jet-black, often glossy, colour, like that of the plumage of a raven (noun sense 1). raven: 3. (archaic, countable) Usually preceded by a descriptive word: a bird from a genus other than Corvus that resembles the raven (noun sense 1), especially in having black plumage; also, an imaginary black bird. 4. (historical, countable) A flag bearing a raven (noun sense 1), formerly used by some Viking leaders; hence (uncountable, metonymic), preceded by the: Viking military power. 5. (chiefly fiction, countable) A person, especially a man, with black hair. 6. (countable, figurative, obsolete) A person who brings bad news or makes pessimistic predictions. 7. Especially of hair: of the jet-black and often glossy colour of the plumage of a raven (noun sense 1). 8. About Word of the Day 9. Nominate a word 10. Leave feedback https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/raven

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Next time round Hitler will be a machine, developed by male conquest as the most efficient method of subduing the peoples of the earth. Our only hope is that we have yet time to breed a generation which cannot be ruled in such a way or seek such a way to rule. We have no more need of great generals, for war is no longer fought by men but by machines against men. Machines are not mortal nor do they feel pain, so they must perforce win the war, unless the last of the fantasy heroes can acknowledge his weakness and his terror, and beg pardon.   --Germaine Greer https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Germaine_Greer