Research

How Mosquitoes Fly in the Rain

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One might think that rainfall would keep the mosquitoes away, but it turns out that rain strikes don’t bother these little pests much.  Because the insect is so small and light compared to a falling raindrop, the water bounces off instead of splashing. This results in a relatively small transfer of momentum, although the mosquito does get deflected quite strongly. Researchers estimate that the insects endure accelerations up to 300 times that of gravity, which is more than 10 times what a human can withstand. (Video credit: A. Dickerson et al; submitted by Phillipe M.)

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