Watch: Mosquitoes Use Six Needles to Suck Your Blood

"It's not just idle curiosity that's got scientists hunting down all the bloody details of a mosquito bite. Bites from these bugs are more dangerous to humans than those of any other animal; mosquitoes kill hundreds of thousands of people each year worldwide, and sicken millions more."

"Male mosquitoes don't bite people, but when the females drink our blood to grow their eggs, they can leave behind viruses and parasites that cause diseases like West Nile, malaria, dengue and Zika."

"Part of what makes mosquitoes so good at getting humans sick, researchers are now learning, is the effectiveness of that bite. The mosquito's mouth, also called a proboscis, isn't just one tiny spear. It's a sophisticated system of six thin, needlelike mouthparts that scientists call stylets, each of which pierces the skin, finds blood vessels and makes it easy for mosquitoes to suck blood."

"And these bugs know just where to bite. Mosquitoes have more than 150 receptors — proteins on their antennae and proboscis that help them find victims or figure out if a particular puddle of water has enough nutrients to support mosquito larvae."