This despised insect is the subject of much dread and experimentation to limit the spread of diseases ranging from West Nile to malaria and Dengue Fever.

Recent experiments have even rendered the poor mosquito spermless in attempting to naturally limit its population.

Now the time has come for the mosquito to sacrifice for the sake of body art -- the species, which comes with the built in advantage of generating no pain as it bites, will be genetically engineered in our labs to react to a "sticker" image with appropriate chemical attractants and coloring. As the insect bites, the color from the sticker is injected under the skin, effectively tattooing the subject.
-- theircompetitor, Aug 26 2011

Impossible! Mosquitoes aren't licensed to give tattoos.
-- rcarty, Aug 26 2011


//generating no pain as it bites//

What's this about then? Speak for yourself.
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Aug 26 2011


Wonder what color the bats would be?
-- RayfordSteele, Aug 26 2011


This is bound to work.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Aug 26 2011


I dunno what mosquitters been bitin' you, but up here in the billy-hills we gots the kind that a-hurts plenty when they bites ya.

The unofficial Maine State Bird, aka the Black Fly, on the other hand, does not cause pain when it bites, but this has more to do with the shape of its proboscis.
-- Alterother, Aug 26 2011


Good call getting into the cell phone apps business though.
-- rcarty, Aug 27 2011


[-] for failing to kill mosquitoes, preferably slowly.

It is a moot point as to whether mosquitoes feel pain. It would be so much more satisfying if they do, as it would add that that little extra frisson of enjoyment when torturing them to death.
-- 8th of 7, Aug 27 2011


I suspect the tricky bit will be teaching them to spell, I'm mean who wants "buger of" on their forehead
-- not_morrison_rm, Aug 27 2011


//who wants "buger of" on their forehead// Irony makes all the difference.
-- mouseposture, Aug 27 2011


That's an anticoagulant son.
-- Voice, Aug 27 2011


This idea could be saved by not modifying the little devils at all. Simply paint some specialized tattoo pigment on the skin, mask off everything else, and expose the area to the hungry bloodsuckers. As the mosquitoes bite, a little bit of ink will be pushed into the skin, forming a tattoo dot.

It might take several thousand bites to form a decent picture, but it's no different from a regular tattoo. To multitask, a portable mosquito cage could be strapped over the skin for a few weeks,

A bonus side effect is becoming completely desensitized by the time it's over.
-- Aq_Bi, Aug 28 2011



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