Answer the questions briefly:

Why does the author refer to the mosquito as a ‘beast of prey’?

A beast of prey refers to an animal that kills and eats other animals. The author Robert Lynd describes the mosquito as a beast of prey not because of its literal denotation, but simply as a comparison between the mosquito and any other animal. Just like a beast of prey attacks and kills its prey to consume it, the mosquito, which feeds on blood, attacks its prey for consumption and may even kill it by causing deadly diseases. Thus, the comparison becomes quite clear.