
Summer evenings are nice, but they often include the application of insect repellent or lighting of tiki torches to keep mosquitoes and other bugs away. What if you didn't have to worry about mosquitoes? Scientists are working on that right now.
Which One Bites?
As with many species of insects, only female mosquitoes bite their victims. Scientists are currently trying to determine if wingless female mosquitoes would result in fewer bites.
According to many online resources, "Researchers at the University of Oxford are developing ways to genetically alter male mosquitoes so that after mating with females, the female offspring would be born wingless."
A Wingless Society
Since diseases spread by insects are prevalent in the tropical regions of the world, researchers plan to deposit tens of thousands of genetically-altered eggs in these areas first. If everything goes according to plan, the males hatched from these eggs will mate with females and infect the gene pool until eventually only wingless females are born. This takeover could occur in a local population in as little as six months.
If female mosquitoes were unable to fly, it is hypothesized that:
- Mosquitoes would be less likely to spread disease
- Female mosquitoes would die more quickly
- Male mosquitoes would still be able to fly, but not bite
Environmental Considerations
One positive outcome of the switch is that fewer pesticides would need to be used to control mosquito populations. Whether that is worth changing the genetic makeup of a species is yet to be seen.
Wingless mosquitoes would obviously be confined to the ground. How would this change the ecology of where the mosquitoes are located?
Other Mosquito Mentions:
Are Viruses Lurking at Foreclosed Homes?
Buzz Off - Pest Prevention (Part 2)
Think it's a Bat? It Might be a Bird!
Resources:
Wingless Females Mean No More Mosquito Bites, Wend Mag
No Flight, No Bite - Genetic Researchers Say Wingless Female Mosquitoes could Curb Fatal Fever, Taragana
https://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/02/22/tech/main6232426.shtml
https://blogs.nature.com/news/thegreatbeyond/2010/02/flightless_female_mosquitoes_m_1.html
Should We Get Rid of Mosquitoes with Science?, Ecosmart
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