Mosquitos Are Not Just Blood-Suckers

Mosquitos Are Not Just Blood-Suckers

Jackson Winslow

            Insects heavily influence the success of pollination of flowers. In fact, most flowers rely on these organisms to sufficiently reproduce. Most people believe that the pollination of plants is typically an effect of the work of butterflies and bees alone. While the latter are indeed the primary pollinators of most deciduous flora, mosquitos also play a significant role in pollination despite the impression that they are merely a nuisance.

            Mosquitos aren't only parasites. Although the females require proteinaceous substances found in blood to produce eggs, males feed on nectar from plants as they have no reason to obtain blood (Miller 2012). Proposals for a plan to exterminate all mosquitos to the point of extinction have already been discussed before; Along with mosquitos serving as prey for birds and other larger animals, the aforementioned function of mosquitos doubtlessly earns them a place on Earth. As the bee populations are dwindling and flowers are being pollinated less and less, it's clear that less popular organisms such as mosquitos need to be relished for their similar role in pollination of plants.

            All angiosperms bear flowers in some form or another, and all flowers bear both male and female reproductive parts. Plants can’t reproduce until the pollen from a different specimen of the same species is transferred into their stigma. While wind pollination exists, plants are typically pollinated due to the inadvertent transfer of pollen from insects. Whereas some insects such as bees collect pollen into pouches on their legs to utilize later, other insects like butterflies and mosquitos feed on nectar outright for sustenance.

            A common misconception of entomophily is that insects feed on plants specifically to pollinate them. In reality, plants and insects carry out symbiotic mutualism as a result of evolutionary adaptations. Pollen feeders generally mind their own business – They feed on nectar or collect pollen for the benefit of their own species, but plants depend on this process for their reproduction.

              Phytophagous insects, especially external feeders, are often attracted to plants with colorful flowers. Because mosquitos live near still-water sources, they are also attracted to flowers that require much water throughout the year. Flowers found near water sources give male mosquitoes both the opportunity to indulge on nectar and the opportunity to reproduce with female mosquitos. Orchids are a common form of aquatic plant that rely on mosquitos for pollination (Statman). As the life cycle of a mosquito includes both aquatic and terrestrial habitats, it makes sense that they would prefer climactically ambiguous locations.
            Humans that inhabit areas near still-water sources like vernal pools have a propensity to encounter blood-sucking mosquitos. It should be noted, though, that the overwhelming majority of mosquitos are not blood-suckers (AwkwardBotany 2012). As mosquitos are at the bottom of the food web, there are subsequently thousands of other types of organisms for predators to choose to indulge on. Nonetheless, the world is rife with mosquitos and they can be found in all types of climates and conditions.

            Many companies and governments have sought to eradicate the family of insects through peremptory extermination and prevention programs to no avail. Mosquitos come out on top because of their high reproduction rates. Mosquitos multiply fast yet they live fast. A consequence of their quick lives is that there is a great deal of genetic variation, and this has most likely led to their prevalence on Earth. Sure, mosquitos are to blame for horrible diseases like Zika and Malaria, but that doesn’t justify their extermination. Yes, mosquitos kill more humans than any other animal on Earth, but they conversely pollinate plants regularly (Storrs 2016). With 3500 species of mosquito and counting, there's not much practicality and attempting to exterminate all mosquitos.            

           

https://news.vice.com/article/heres-why-its-a-very-bad-idea-to-wipe-mosquitoes-off-the-face-of-the-earth 

           

Works Cited

Miller, Elizabeth. “Mosquitoes Are Useful to Pollinate Flowers.” Mosquito Reviews, www.mosquitoreviews.com/mosquitoes-niche-pollinate.html.

Statman, Zoe. “Aedes Communis: The Pollinating Mosquito.” US Forest Service, Pollinator Sponsorship, www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/pollinator-of-the-month/aedes_communis.shtml.

Storrs, Carina. “Mosquitoes: Why Can't We Just Kill All of Them?” CNN, Cable News Network, 5 Feb. 2016, www.cnn.com/2016/02/05/health/zika-virus-kill-all-mosquitoes/index.html.

AwkwardBotany. “Year of Pollination: Mosquitoes as Pollinators.” Citizen Botany for the Phytocurious, 8 July 2015, awkwardbotany.com/2015/07/08/year-of-pollination-mosquitoes-as-pollinators/.