Female mosquitoes lay clumps of eggs in standing water. Egg-rafts float for 2-3 days, until the larvae hatch. The water repellent nature of the egg is generated by microscopically small structures, which trap a thin layer of air.
Why mosquito eggs float
This hand-coloured scanning electron micrograph is the winner of The EMBO Journal Cover Contest 2012. The image shows the surface of a mosquito egg (from Culex pipiens), which generates a water repellent network by connecting microscopically small structures to trap a thin layer of air. The vitally important structures avoid immersion and enable the egg to float and aggregate with neighbouring eggs.
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