Here comes a very long answer, so here a small summary: You can read in many lists of fact on the internet that a mosquito has 47 teeth. But is this really true? I researched this question and it looks like the answer depends manly on what you consider to be teeth. Some consider that it actually does not have teeth at all. ------- MODIFIED (Introduction added) - ORIGINAL ANSWER AFTER THIS LINE -------- 1) "Mosquitoes have 47 teeth." Source and further information: http://www.berro.com/entertainment/animals_interesting_facts.htm And also 1,720 other references: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q="Mosquitoes+have+47+teeth"&btnG=Google+Search&aq=f&oq= 2) But is this really true??? The Wikipedia article about mosquitoes, for instance, does not mention this interesting fact: "The head also has an elongated, forward-projecting proboscis used for feeding, and two sensory palps. The maxillary palps of the males are longer than their proboscises whereas the females’ maxillary palps are much shorter. (This is typical for representatives of subfamilies.) As with many members of the mosquito family, the female is equipped with an elongated proboscis that she uses to collect blood to feed her eggs." Source and further information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquito "Mosquitoes don't have teeth. The females “bite” with a long, pointed mouthpart called a proboscis. They use the serrated proboscis to pierce the skin and locate a capillary, then draw blood through one of two tubes. Read more: "Mosquito Facts | Mega-Catch™" - http://www.megacatch.com/mosquitofacts.html#ixzz0BPKrINjU" Source and further information: http://www.megacatch.com/mosquitofacts.html "Does a mosquito have teeth? No. A mosquito has a proboscis, which is a long, pointed mouthpart used to pierce the skin. It contains two tubes; one for injecting saliva and one for drawing blood." Source and further information: http://www.mosquitoworld.net/mosquitofaqs.php 3) The only primary source that I could find for the 47-teeth story is this one: "According to "The Book Of Facts" by Isaac Asimov, a mosquito has 47 teeth." Source and further information: http://www.orbitals.com/psiu/47.html However I also found this: "Just how many books did Asimov write? Short answer: An awful lot. Hundreds. Long answer: Well, it depends on how you count them." "There are also books which were almost entirely written by someone else (the Superquiz books, From Harding to Hiroshima, the Book of Facts) which Asimov counted because he had an extensive role in the editing of the book." Source and further information: http://www.asimovonline.com/asimov_FAQ.html 4) "Recently on the mosquito science mailing list, someone posted a question... Apparently they had found a "True Fact" on the underside of a Snapple bottle cap claiming that mosquitoes have 47 teeth. The poster was asking where this "true fact" came from. I thought this reply was most enlightening: This Snapple 'fact' was discussed on the Entomology listserv about two years ago, and I've fielded this question several times from folks who believed (by reading the print in the cap) that mosquitoes must 'chew' their food. Mosquito larvae sport a variable number of pectin 'teeth', often ranging from 5 to 12 teeth (even within larvae of the same species). Furthermore, I've heard some folks colloquially refer as 'teeth' to the rays of the larval labial fans, or the components of the adult cibarial and/or phyrangeal armatures. Other 'tooth'-like structures are present on mosquitoes. The maxillae of the adults, for instance, are serrated near their terminal ends. The dentition patterns were thought as early as the 1920's to offer a means to separate certain races of Anopheles mosquitoes. More recently (1950's), M.T. Gilles reassessed the dentition patterns of adults of the Anopheles maculipennis complex, and if I recall correctly, was able to induce variations in the dentition profile by rearing the mosquito larvae at different temperatures. It would take a bit of digging, however, to find the references and learn the magic number or numbers of teeth. I'd be surprised if that number turned out to be 47, or even 42. Perhaps, this would be a good exercise for a student with too much time on his or her hands... and little prospect of contributing in more meaningful ways. It might be more productive to switch to another kind of beverage, the bottles of which are topped with caps offering a chance to win a prize. Let's hope the ingredient information printed on the Snapple labels is correct." Source and further information: http://highlandsun.livejournal.com/4576.html 5) "Q: How many teeth do mosquitoes have on the proboscis?" "A: Four sets. Mosquitoes have four knife-like tools of serrated teeth that surround a pair of fine tubes — one for dripping a pain suppressor and one for sucking blood. See figure for a good view of one knife tool and a glimpse of a second one. A common house mosquito (Culex sp.) stabs the skin with her sharp snout and saws in with her four knife tools to draw blood. She shoots in saliva laced with anesthetic (to escape notice) and an anticoagulant (to keep blood flowing). Then she sucks blood." Source and further information: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/aprilholladay/2005-09-08-mosquitos-stars_x.htm 6) "Of course it depends on what you define as "teeth". If one defines teeth as the hard skeletal "extentions" that we see on ourselves and other animals with bony skeletons then the mosquito has no teeth. But if one defines teeth as sort of as a "cutting instrument to break up whatever needs to be broken up", then one can say that mosquitoes have teeth, and it seems that they have four "sets". This USA Today page probably explains it the best that I could find in my quick search. And this Minnesotan Department of Natural Resources page does a good job of explaining as well. These sets surround the one thin needle-like proboscis which the female (yes, it is only the females that bite - the males are real peace-loving creatures eating only nectar) plunges into the host, using one small tube to pump an anesthetic to kill pain and an anticoagulant to keep the blood from clotting and closing the wound, and the other small tube to suck out your blood. But 47 teeth? Rumours and falsehoods are unfortunately spread far too easily on the internet, and one should read with extreme caution whatever one sees. First of all take a GOOD look at the site, making an informed decision on why it should be trusted to give you information, and not just whatever the author decided to suck from his/her thumb and put down in words. The internet is both a wonderful knowledge store (vastly more complete and informative than any encyclopedia ever printed) and a quagmire of rubbish at the same time." Source and further information: http://www.sanparks.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=23867&start=30 Further information: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/aprilholladay/2005-09-08-mosquitos-stars_x.htm http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/young_naturalists/biting_bugs/index.html 7) "The female’s proboscis has six piercing parts. Four with serrated edges (like a bread knife) cut through the skin to the blood vessels. A fifth part injects saliva, which contains an anesthetic to kill pain and an anticoagulant to keep the blood from clotting and closing the wound. A sixth part is a trough-like tube that pumps the blood into her empty gut. A full meal can double her weight, and often she cannot fly after eating." Source and further information: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/young_naturalists/biting_bugs/index.html 8) Further information: - "How many teeth does a mosquito have?" (with an interesting discussion): http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_teeth_does_a_mosquito_have - "Do Mosquitoes Have Teeth?": http://www.bordeglobal.com/foruminv/index.php?act=ST&f=92&t=14851& - "Mosquito teeth": http://msgboard.snopes.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=47;t=000487;p=0 9) "Mosquitoes have 47 teeth inside their mouth. I read it just before sleeping. The thought didn’t leave me till I fell into deep sleep. Then, in my dreams a mosquito appeared. With full 47 teeth. But it was not a small one that we see. It was a huge one. Like a buffalo. And it had that blood-sucking pipe too. Like a donkey’s dick. I was immediately afraid. My God! If that mosquito sucks my blood, I will be down and out in no time. That very moment, the mosquito looked at me, grimacing. Mmmmmmm…. it flew….mmmmmmmm…and charged towards me…..mmmmmmmm…..i ran…mmmmmm…..i ran faster….mmmmmmmm…..i started flying…….i was surprised…..i had wings!!……mmmmmmm…..they made sound like that mosquito’s wings……mmmmmmmm……then I saw my nose grow like Pinocchio’s. It was now like donkey’s dick. Heck! I became a mosquito. I was now afraid. I wanted to check what sex I am when I am a mosquito. I don’t know how to check sex of a mosquito. I searched my body. Under the bulging stomach, or whatever you call that bottom part of mosquito. I felt I am a male but I was not sure. No science book told me how to check the sex of mosquito. But I am sure I am a male. I feel it that way. Then why is that other mosquito chasing me? Is that a homosexual? No it can’t be, as I never heard about a homosexual mosquito. That means I must be a female and that one chasing me must be a male mosquito. Now it will fuck me. Rather rape me. O my God! I felt like Basanti in Sholay movie and that mosquito was no less than Gabbar’s men. The other mosquito was a fast flyer. It caught up with me in no time. I decided to fight to protect my ‘ijjat’ (or whatever you call, ‘pagdi’, ‘laj rakh lo’, 'main tumhare bachhe ki ma nahi banna chahti' etc). The other mosquito came next to me, didn’t do anything special (I mean anything sexual) and just started flying with me. I was relieved. I looked at it. It looked friendly. I thought of befriending it. “Hi, machhar” I said “Hi asshole”, Mosquito replied. “Why did you call me asshole?” “Because you are one” “Why?” “Because you are running away from me” “I thought you would rape me”, I said, feeling embarrassed. “Come on, that’s not possible, I don’t rape hijras” “What nonsense, I am a male, I am not a hijra” “Abe, suna nahi kya, ek machchar aadmi ko hijra bana deta hai” The mosquito said and flew away. Gee…how true and I was unnecessarily worrying about saving my ‘ijjat’. I was relieved. And it was morning. My alarm rang. I got up. I immediately checked. Phew! I am still a male. And yes, thank God! I am a human. It is easy to determine sex of humans. Tiru Vocabulary help: Hijra: Eunuch Ek machchar aadmi ko hijra bana deta hai is a dialogue from movie Yashwant (Nana patekar), which means a mosquito makes a man, eunuch, gee…that’s a poor translation but that’s it. Suna nahi kya: Haven’t you heard? Ijjat: (from izzat of urdu) Respect, but it means much more in local terms." Source and further information: http://tiruscorner.blogspot.com/2007/02/mosquitoes-have-47-teeth-inside-their.html

You have done a lot of research, iwnit. But I am not convinced mosquitoes have any teeth. +5 +6.

I thought they just had that proboscus type stinger and a lot of irritating hairs. No?