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Hello: July 9, 2013
No one has responded so I will start the ball rolling by quoting =
Jonathan Swift; "So, naturalists observe, a flea / Hath smaller fleas =
that on him prey;/ And these have smaller fleas to bite 'em / And so =
proceed ad infinitum."=20
As a pure guess I suspect that 99 eggs out of 100 (999/1000 ?) in =
natural environments never reach the airborne stage. Those laid in =
relatively clean artificial pools (cans, tires, rain barrels) may do =
better but in the absence of other prey must eat those that hatch later.
Again, as a pure guess, I would expect aquatic insects (especially =
larvae of Diving Beetles, Gyrinidae, Dragon Flies and Damsel Flies and =
also perhaps immature and adult Hemiptera) small fish and Amphibians at =
all stages to take their toll on egg rafts and mosquito larvae. Pupae =
are sitting ducks for both aquatic and surface feeders. And once eclosed =
they must run the gamut of air feeders; Dragon and Damsel Flies, some =
Diptera perhaps, Swallows and Spiders.
Most life cycles if submitted as an engineering plan, to recycle =
solar energy, would never get off of the drawing board; just too =
improbable.
Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville
=20
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Dave&Jane Schlosberg=20
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20
Sent: Monday, July 08, 2013 7:02 PM
Subject: [NatureNS] Who are mosquito predators?
What DOES eat mosquitoes?
From: James W. Wolford=20
Sent: Monday, July 08, 2013 1:06 PM
To: NatureNS ; Fred Scott=20
Subject: [NatureNS] re bats vs. mosquitoes?
THANKS, FRED! from Jim et al.
Begin forwarded message:
From: fred scott <fwscott@eastlink.ca>
Date: July 8, 2013 11:59:47 AM ADT
To: Hugh Broders <Hugh.Broders@SMU.CA>, "James W. Wolford" =
<jimwolford@eastlink.ca>, Nature BNS <nature@blomidonnaturalists.ca>
Cc: Mark F Elderkin <elderkmf@gov.ns.ca>, Andrew Hebda =
<HEBDAAJ@gov.ns.ca>, Donald McAlpine <Donald.McAlpine@nbm-mnb.ca>
Subject: RE: re bats endangered -- good for other insectivores??
Hi all,
Hugh is quite right. The idea that insectivorous bats in North =
America feed on mosquitoes is a myth derived from a gross =
misunderstanding of a single old paper that provided the numbers of =
mosquitoes eaten in one night by a captive big brown bat (Eptesicus =
fuscus). It would normally prey on much larger insects, but made do with =
mosquitoes because that was all it was offered. Also, it is a much =
larger animal than the little brown, long-eared and tricolored bats in =
NS.
In fact the vast majority of the feeding time of insectivorous bats =
is spent well above the zones where mosquitoes are found. Even when bats =
forage within a meter or two of the forest canopy, there are no =
mosquitoes there because there are no sleeping warm-blooded animals in =
the air=97they are all down in the foliage. The bats will take a =
mosquito if they come across one, but to seek them out they would have =
to dodge and flutter through cluttered environments under trees and =
shrubs, or within a foot or two of the grass on fields or meadows, and =
it wouldn't be an energetically efficient way to forage, especially for =
such a small protein package.=20
It is also wrongly believed by many that swallows and swifts eats =
large amounts of mosquitoes, but they normally feed high in the open =
air, well away from any zone where mosquitoes would be hanging out. =
Mosquitoes normally rest on vegetation until some disturbance or signal =
that could mean a blood meal stimulates them to take wing and seek it =
out.
Cheers,
Fred
No virus found in this message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 2013.0.3349 / Virus Database: 3204/6473 - Release Date: =
07/08/13
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<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Hello: =
=20
=
=20
July 9, 2013</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> No one has responded so I will =
start the=20
ball rolling by quoting Jonathan Swift; "So, naturalists observe, a flea =
/ Hath=20
smaller fleas that on him prey;/ And these have smaller fleas to bite =
'em / And=20
so proceed <EM>ad infinitum</EM>." </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> As a pure guess I suspect that 99 =
eggs out=20
of 100 (999/1000 ?) in natural environments never reach=20
the airborne stage. Those laid in relatively clean artificial pools =
(cans,=20
tires, rain barrels) may do better but in the absence of other prey must =
eat=20
those that hatch later.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> Again, as a pure guess, I would =
expect=20
aquatic insects (especially larvae of Diving Beetles, Gyrinidae, Dragon =
Flies=20
and Damsel Flies and also perhaps immature and adult =
Hemiptera) small=20
fish and Amphibians at all stages to take their toll on egg rafts and =
mosquito=20
larvae. Pupae are sitting ducks for both aquatic and surface =
feeders. And=20
once eclosed they must run the gamut of air feeders; Dragon and Damsel=20
Flies, some Diptera perhaps, Swallows and =
Spiders.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> Most life cycles if submitted as =
an=20
engineering plan, to recycle solar energy, would never get off =
of the=20
drawing board; just too improbable.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> </FONT></DIV>
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