Aristotle's Empis

In 300 B.C., Aristotle referred to mosquitoes as "empis" in his "Historia Animalium" where he documented their life cycle and metamorphic abilities. 

The mosquito life cycle

"During the sloughing of the skin an inner layer comes to the surface, for the creature emerges just as the embryo from its afterbirth.  All insects that slough at all slough in the same way; as the silphe, and the empis or midge, and all the coleoptera, as for instance the cantharus-beetle..."

"...The cicada the moment after issuing from the husk goes and sits upon an olive tree or a reed; after the breaking up of the husk the creature issues out, leaving a little moisture behind, and after a short interval flies up into the air and sets a chirping."

Another nugget of Aristotle wisdom from Historia Animalium:

"All insects, without exception, die if they be smeared over with oil; and they die all the more rapidly if you smear their head with the oil and lay them out in the sun."

No matter what you say, that's pretty cool.