The word mosquito means little fly in Portuguese. Mosquitoes are members of the scientific order Diptera, the True Flies. Like other True Flies, they have wings. But they are different from some True Flies; their wings have scales. These tiny scales help eliminate the effects of friction. This helps the mosquitoes skim quickly and efficiently through the air, maqking them almost impossible to swat. The familiar high-pitched, annoying buzz of the mosquito comes from the sound of its wings beating 600 times per second!