Gates mosquito probably planted
by MEXICAN ANONYMOUS
DO you know what Mexican entomologists say about this mosquito?? The general name 'mosquito' can be applied to distinct families of Diptera:
- Culicidae: true mosquitoes and usually larger, the smallest ones being genus Microculex - Ceratopogonidae (biting midges) - quite small, can also feed on insect haemolimph - Psychodidae: Phlebotominae (sand-flies) - very nasty, vectors of Protozoan diseases (Leishmaniosis) - Simulidae: black-flies.
I'm asking because these have distinct larval ecology. If those Gates beats are true mosquitoes, they might not be very fit in the larva stage and be predated... these things usually cannot compete with forms tested by Natural selection for ages. The larval stage will be the most vulnerable because they spend most of their life span in it. So they might be just set free as adults already. Can you pick one (with insecticide) and post some pictures??
in regard to the really small mosquitos, I've seen a few here in new zealand too. Never seen them before anywhere here or overseas. Thought it was an annoying little fruit fly the first time i saw one, but they still move like mozzies. can't say one has bitten me yet, maybe i'm too fast for them...
I had some suspicion that these were released. I will try to kill one with the mosquito swatter and post a picture, but getting one is difficult because they are so fast and evasive. Over the course of a week I have only managed to nail 3 of these. The temperatures have been high enough long enough for all the native breeds to be prevalent now, and yet there has not been a single one of the normal mosquitos yet. Very odd, everyone has noticed this, not just me.
by MEXICAN ANONYMOUS
DO you know what Mexican entomologists say about this mosquito?? The general name 'mosquito' can be applied to distinct families of Diptera:
- Culicidae: true mosquitoes and usually larger, the smallest ones being genus Microculex - Ceratopogonidae (biting midges) - quite small, can also feed on insect haemolimph - Psychodidae: Phlebotominae (sand-flies) - very nasty, vectors of Protozoan diseases (Leishmaniosis) - Simulidae: black-flies.
I'm asking because these have distinct larval ecology. If those Gates beats are true mosquitoes, they might not be very fit in the larva stage and be predated... these things usually cannot compete with forms tested by Natural selection for ages. The larval stage will be the most vulnerable because they spend most of their life span in it. So they might be just set free as adults already. Can you pick one (with insecticide) and post some pictures??
in regard to the really small mosquitos, I've seen a few here in new zealand too. Never seen them before anywhere here or overseas. Thought it was an annoying little fruit fly the first time i saw one, but they still move like mozzies. can't say one has bitten me yet, maybe i'm too fast for them...
I had some suspicion that these were released. I will try to kill one with the mosquito swatter and post a picture, but getting one is difficult because they are so fast and evasive. Over the course of a week I have only managed to nail 3 of these. The temperatures have been high enough long enough for all the native breeds to be prevalent now, and yet there has not been a single one of the normal mosquitos yet. Very odd, everyone has noticed this, not just me.