Positive Effects Of Mosquitoes

By Le Monkey

THE MOSQUITOES ROLE ON THE FOOD CHAIN

Mosquitoes have an important job in many ecosystems, as they are food for many animals. Animals that eat mosquitoes are birds, fish, turtles, frogs, dragonflies, some other mosquitoes, spiders, and tadpoles . Some animals eat mosquitoes in their larvae stage of life and other prey on them as adult mosquitoes.

Eating Adult Mosquitos
Many birds will eat mosquitoes.
During nymph stage, the dragonfly eats mosquito larvae.

Photo source:5 Birds That Eat Mosquitoes by Zapper
Photo source:What Are Dragonfly Food? Get to Know Here

To learn more on what animals on Mosquitoes go to the following sites:

  • Mosquito Predators – what eats mosquitoes?https://www.orkin.com/other/mosquitoes/mosquito-predators
  • Sciencing: What Eats Mosquitoes?
    https://sciencing.com/eats-mosquitoes-8568515.html

MOSQUITO LARVAE – FOOD

  •  filter feeders that strain tiny organic
  •   particles such as unicellular algae from the water
  •  convert them to the tissues of their own bodies
  • eaten by fish.
  •  nutrient-packed snacks for fish and other aquatic animals.

MOSQUITO LARVAE Help the Ecosystem

  • mosquitoes eat the carcasses of insects that drown in the water,
  • mosquito larvae feed on the waste products,
  • makes nutrients such as nitrogen
  • elimination of mosquitoes might affect plant growth

 

THE MOSQUITOES ROLE ON POLLINATING PLANTS

Orchids give off human ‘body odor’ to attract mosquitoes
A mosquito with pollen sacs attached to its head pollinating an Orchid.

Photo source: Orchids give off human ‘body odor’ to attract mosquitoes
photo source: Orchids mimic human body odor to attract mosquitoes

 

THE MOSQUITOES ROLE IN THE ARCTIC (CARIBOU MIGRATION)

Mosquitoes help control the migration of caribou in the arctic. These caribou move away from herds of mosquitoes and that is why they keep on migrating and moving across the arctic. If the mosquitoes didn’t make the caribou move then the caribou would be in danger.

Here are a few things that would happen.

1) the caribou would not get more food as they do when they move. 

2) It would mess up their migration movements and they would only stay in one spot. (This may cause “Overgrazing” which would damage the ecosystem.

3) They burn up less fat because they would be staying in one spot longer.   They need to store fat. so if they could, it would be good for them in the cold winter time.

So getting rid of the mosquitoes could be a problem for caribou and they could be at risk for dying and possibly extinction.  On the other hand killing mosquitoes  could be good for the caribou. we just don’t know!

Sources:

What are Mosquitoes Good For?
https://www.thoughtco.com/what-good-are-mosquitoes-1968303

Sciencing:Positive Effects of Mosquitoes
https://sciencing.com/positive-effects-mosquitoes-8513632.html

Nature Ecology: A world without mosquitoes

https://www.nature.com/news/2010/100721/full/466432a.html