Mosquitoes' Ghosts

There were several reports in the news papers about the new species of animals that found, this year. I also found a new species of insects on Sunday-25-10-2009. When I was sitting at the window I saw something flaky in mass in the air near the plants. I thought initially that it was the usual habit of people, who live in the upper floors, throwing something. After cleaning the rice or wheat they would throw the waste carelessly through the windows. Strands of fallen hair will come straight in to our room with the wind. I have to pick up their hair and throw it into our dustbin instead of throwing it outside. Old habits die hard.

When the flaky things didn’t settle to the ground even after a few minutes I took a closer look and realized it was some kinds of insects and seen flying up and down only in a vertical motion. It looked like our flaky dry skin that comes off in winter. I tried to catch them with a transparent plastic bag, but I couldn’t get a single one. Though tiny those are cunning to evade the trap and strong enough to withstand the wind. It is dangerous than mosquitoes or any other insects. They can enter straight into our nostrils, eyes or ears. The insects were flying there about two hours then disappeared. But I didn’t have time to chase them. I named it ‘mosquitoes’ ghosts.’ But these ghost mosquitoes appear in the morning, not at night. They might be appearing only in some particular season like winged ants on the onset of monsoon.

Why animal lovers worry about the extinction of some species. When one species becomes extinct another one emerges from the soil. The other day I saw a baby centipede about half inch length. I picked it up and thrown outside. If the baby is 6 inch in length what would be the length of adult centipede? I see centipedes of about 2-3 inches often. A large number of millipedes are seen crawling around the house. A few years ago they were only in black. Now it is seen in different pattern and colour—black and yellow like Mumbai’s taxis—yellow on top and black on the sides.

Soil is full of life, but only in the upper crust. I think there is no life in the deep soil. Because of the four elements the upper crust remains humid. Humidity is needed for life to take place.

PS: Today when I checked the plastic bag thoroughly I could get a fossil of the insect. But I don’t know whether it is the same thing I got. It is too tiny to distinguish.