This striking darkfield photomicrograph features the head, antennae, and proboscis of a male mosquito. The image was captured on an Olympus DP-10 digital camera using a compound optical microscope with a 2x Objective.

Mosquitoes are insects belonging to the Diptera order, along with their cousins, the true flies. They have two wings and their mouthparts form a long piercing-sucking proboscis, although in male mosquitoes the mouthparts are not suitable for piercing skin. Note the feathery antennae present in the photomicrograph.