Mosquitos lay their eggs in stangnant water, e.g as ponds, tree holes, tide water pools, irrigated pastures, rain water ponds e.t.c. The eggs of most mosquito species hatch into larvae within 48 hours. One female mosquito can lay several hundred eggs in one batch. Predators of mosquito larvae help reduce or control this insect's population.
Mosquitoes often lay their eggs in stagnant bodies of water, which are often home to fish, many of which feed on mosquito larvae. The Gambusia affinis, also known as the western mosquitofish, consumes up to 167 percent of its body weight in invertebrate prey each day, including mosquito larvae. Goldfish, killifish, guppies, bass, bluegill and catfish also consume mosquito larvae.
Some frogs and toads, including cricket frogs, chorus frogs and spring peepers, frequently feed on mosquito larvae. One toad may consume up to 100 mosquito larvae per night. Although tadpoles mostly feed on algae and plants, some species occasionally prey on mosquito larvae. The red-eared slider turtle has also been used to control the mosquito larvae population. In a 2007 study published by the American Mosquito Control Association, red-eared sliders reduced the number of mosquito larvae in an experimental enclosure by 99 percent over a five-week period.
While many types of birds, such as purple martins, eat mosquitoes, only a few species eat their larvae. Juvenile waterfowl species and migratory songbirds occasionally eat mosquito larvae and periodically rely on them as their primary source of nutrition. Tree swallows prey on both mosquitoes and their larvae.
Many types of other insects make mosquito larvae part of their diet. Dragonflies are sometimes called "mosquito hawks," and dragonfly and damselfly naiads often feast on mosquito larvae. Aquatic beetles and their young often live in temporary pools or ponds, consuming nearly anything that moves, including their own kind. These worm-like beetles, the most common species of which are the predaceous diving beetle and the water scavenger beetle, feast on many types of larvae, including those of mosquitoes....
In conclusion, mosquitoes play a vital role in the ecosystem; they aid in maintaining a steady feeding relationship at their tropic level in the ecosystem. If they go extinct as everyone desires, how would their predators feed??? And how would we feed On their predators, such as fish, if there is no energy supply from that tropic level in the ecosystem....???
useful post thanks for sharing !!!
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Didn't know I was doing something good by getting stung by mosquitoes. Next time i am suffering from an itchy feeling all over my body because of them I will think of this post.
Good job, keep it up! :)
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