Revealing the horrors of macro mosquito larvae filmed under polarised light

Mosquitoes are responsible for a lot of deaths and diseases worldwide. Even if they don’t kill you, they can keep you awake all night and leave you pretty uncomfortable. We have tiger mosquitoes where I live, they are so big you can actually see the stripes.

So why would you want to film their larva, we ask? Well, Jens from Another Perspective has shed quite literally new light on these creatures. And I’m both fascinated and revulsed.

Jens shot these creatures using an extreme macro close-up lens, the Laowa 24mm f/14 2X Macro Probe. If you ever wanted to see a mosquito larva pooping, now is your opportunity. He also discovered their unique ability to turn their heads around 360 degrees in true Exorcist fashion.

However, it is when Jens decides to film the larvae under polarised light that it really gets interesting. These creatures suddenly turn the colours of the entire rainbow with electric hues similar to the creatures of the deep sea.

They twist and turn about, swivelling their heads: it’s a delicate tiny-world disco just beneath the surface of the water.

Check out the whole video for some fascinating insights into the life cycle of a mosquito larva. But I’m warning you, you may not be able to sleep afterwards!