[ad_1]
Mosquitoes can be small insects but pose a health hazard. Dengue fever is one of the most serious diseases caused by Aedes aegypti, a kind of mosquito. An increase in the population of these creatures is a big problem that threatens human health. Insecticides are one of the available chemicals that can eliminate this problem. Although they are the key to the dilemma, a recent study in Costa Rica showed that mosquitoes developed resistance against the mosquito. Apart from this, it was also stated that their predators did not follow this evolution, which led to an increase in the population.
The research began when environmentalist Edd Hammil of the Utah State University noticed the problem while he was conducting research in the orange groves. from northern Costa Rica.
"We had the impression of receiving many more mosquitoes in the plantations than in the untouched areas and we started to wonder why," said Hammil.
After the said observations, their team looked for the reason behind this. They found a whole community of larvae, including the mosquito species of Wyeomyia abebela, between the overlapping leaves of bromeliads. This is a group of plants that we can usually find in warmer regions of America, according to National Geographic.
According to the researchers, bromeliads found in plantations have been treated with insecticides for more than 20 years. Although the orange groves were treated with insecticides, they discovered that the mosquito population was twice as large as that of a virgin forest. Apart from this, the damselflies, who are the main predator of the mosquitoes, had disappeared in combat.
In their research, they tested and compared the tolerance of plant mosquitoes to mosquitoes found in the forest. They found that the mosquitoes of the plantations tolerated concentrations ten times higher than those of forest mosquitoes. In addition, the girl does not develop the same resistance.
According to Den Yee, insect ecologist at the University of Southern Mississippi, the resistance of a group of dangerous insects is a major problem in the world, especially mosquitoes that spread diseases like dengue. In addition, a phenomenon called anti-insecticide treatment by survivors of competitive release can bounce the population in one generation, which may pose another problem.
"Since you have reduced the density of mosquito larvae, you have allowed these larvae to grow, because now more resources are available per animal unit," Yee explained.
According to the observation given, if the insecticides and the corresponding predators can not control the increase in the mosquito population, the situation is threatening because the mosquitoes can be carriers of a deadly pathogen.
[ad_2]
Source link
