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Blackflies and Mosquitoes What Good Are They? BY KAREN FINOGLE Karen Finogle is a freelance writer from Newmarket, NH who still swats at black flies, despite her newfound appreciation of them. A female Aedes mosquito. Photo by Dennis Kunkel Microscopy, Inc., www.pbrc.hawaii.edu/~kunkel 2 January/February 2000 • WILDLIFE JOURNAL They bother us through some of the best times of the year. Then they finally go away. But these nasty bugs really have some value to the ecosystem. WAT. SLAP. THWAT. Black flies breed exclusively in running water, both Ah yes, it must be springtime in New Hampshire. Never fast moving and sluggish. After a blood meal, females lay mind the singing birds and the blooming flowers, spring their eggs on vegetation in streams or on the water surface. arrives here on the wings and whine of bloodthirsty black Eggs will spend winter submerged in streams and hatch in flies and mosquitoes. the spring once the water temperatures reach 40 to 50 Amidst the budding beauty around us, it’s a season of degrees. war. We tuck our pant legs in our socks and arm ourselves The worm-shaped larvae hatch and attach themselves with citronella, bug spray, and anything else that someone to submerged objects, such as rocks or grass. Larvae of once told us “works pretty good.” It’s us or them — the some black fly species will spend the whole winter under- blood-filled versus the bloodthirsty. And, in the end, battle water. The larvae filter particles from the water column, worn and scarred, we generally lose, reclaiming our territory consuming bacteria and other microorganisms as they clean only after the enemy has left. the water. But what do we really know about our enemies? Did “Black flies are suspension feeders,” according to John you know, for instance, that their ancestors date back 150- Burger, a zoology professor at the University of New 200 million years ago? If we’re talking seniority, they’ve got Hampshire who specializes in mosquitoes and black flies. us beat by a mile. “You have all this stuff suspended in the water column, and Have you considered that maybe they really they filter it out. It’s basically mostly vegetable, which they aren’t our enemies? Though they obviously concentrate into a meat, which is then fed upon by fish and feed on us, mosquitoes and black flies are whatever else feeds on aquatic larvae.” also food for all sorts of creatures, includ- Among the predators of black fly larvae are fish, ing fish, birds and other insects. insects, amphibians and others. The larvae are victims, as And consider this the next time we are to black flies, and their sacrifice helps support a you’re about to smack a mosquito on diverse ecosystem. A large population of adult black flies — your arm. There are more than 2,500 awful as it is for us — indicates a healthy stream, because species of mosquitoes throughout the the larvae have little tolerance for pollution. world, 43 of which are known to A mature black fly larva weaves a cocoon, pupates into occur in New Hampshire. Of those an adult and rides a bubble of air to the water surface. 43, only 28 species are known to feed Adults mate near the breeding site, and females will leave in on humans, and just 14 of the 28 search of blood immediately after that. Many black fly species are considered to be serious species seem to feed only on the blood of birds. pests due to their abundance. That doesn’t sound so bad, does it? MOSQUITOES: “AQUATIC COWS” Likewise, about 2,000 black fly species occur through- After enduring black flies in the spring, it’s time for the out the world, but only 40 species are known to exist in the mosquitoes. Mosquitoes start emerging by mid-May in Granite State. Of those 40, only two species are considered southeastern New Hampshire and the wave gradually significant human biters, and two other species are consid- spreads north, reaching the North Country by late May. ered annoying but don’t generally bite. Biting species of mosquitoes reach their peak of annoyance Not ready to sign a peace treaty quite yet? A look at by late May through the first half of June. their life cycles shows some of their ecological benefits. Seacoast residents have it worse. One salt marsh species breeds in very large numbers and there are lots of BLACK FLIES: NATURE’S LITTLE FILTERS them by late July or early August. Relief from these insects First to annoy us humans are the black flies, which is finally felt by mid-September. begin emerging from mid- to late April in southern New Like black flies, mosquitoes have four distinct life Hampshire and last through the end of May. In stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. But unlike black flies, northern New Hampshire, black flies appear by mosquitoes require standing water to reproduce. Their mid- to late May and can last into July in breeding areas include vernal pools, marshes, ponds, tree the mountains. One species hatches holes, stumps, tires, swimming and wading pools, cans, late along northern New Hampshire’s ditches and culverts. If it holds water, mosquitoes can breed large rivers in August and Septem- there. And generally, a wet summer means more mosqui- ber. This species swarms but toes. seldom bites. continued on next page WILDLIFE JOURNAL • January/February 2000 3 continued from previous page ARTWORK BY BARRY FLAHEY, COURTESY OF THE CANADA DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENSE. Once hatched, the larvae secretions and so forth,” Burger feed on vegetable matter in the said. “It’s well known now that water. Professor Burger calls these some of the proteins found in the larvae “aquatic cows.” saliva are pharmacologically very “They turn plant-based active. We don’t really know yet organisms into meat,” Burger said. the extent to which any of these “It’s analogous to what a cow substances will ultimately prove does. It takes a material which is to be useful in medicine; but it’s a low energy and concentrates it good idea to keep your options into a much higher energy, which open.” then, other members of the food The mosquito’s popularity web take advantage of.” with fish is certainly beneficial to According to Professor LIFE CYCLE OF A people who fly fish. According to Burger, this high-energy food, the BLACK FLY Mark Beauchesne, who heads mosquito larva, are eaten by all Fish & Game’s Let’s Go Fishing sorts of predators, everything from Program, the mosquito is imitated fish to beetle and fly larvae and by many fly-tyers. many predacious flies. Beauchesne offers his own The larvae, or wigglers, molt defense of black flies by asking four times before becoming a the question: “What’s worse, pupa, or tumbler. The adult black flies or shoveling snow.” He mosquito emerges from the pupal supports black flies because they stage in less than a week. Adults Clockwise from top: adult female; eggs on plants near “are a part of fishing. They are a mate before the female leaves to surface of flowing water; larvae attached to part of the experience of being seek blood. In the world of black streambed; pupae in cocoons attached to vegetation; out there.” flies and mosquitoes, females get adult rides air bubble to surface, where it emerges. Professor Burger’s defense the bad rap, as they are the only of the insects supports the ones that feed on blood. The male ecological benefits. insects feed on the nectar of flowers. alleviate our discomfort and our dislike. “I guess I come down on the But are there other benefits? good side, if only because annoyance DEFENDING THE BUG From a medical standpoint, the tends to be fairly temporary,” Burger Obviously, adult black flies and jury is still out. There’s ongoing said. “At least in terms of black flies, mosquitoes are an abundant food source research to determine whether these those larvae are in the stream for long for birds, bats and predacious flying insects might eventually benefit periods of time, filtering the water insects, as well as parasites. As we know humans. column and providing food. The each spring and summer, their predators “There has been some work done adults don’t live all that long. Mosqui- don’t impact the species enough to on the chemistry of the various salivary toes are the same way.” Deet (N, N-Diethyl-3- Oil of citronella: Found in flies and mosquitoes. Instead, they’re Methylbenzamide): Formulas with candles, torches and coils that are burned probably frying larger insects that 20 to 30 percent are effective unless to produce a smoke that deters the bugs. feed them. in a heavily infested area. Works on It’s usually less effective than repellents Electronic mosquito both mosquitoes and black flies. applied directly to the clothes or body. repellers: Several laboratories have Apply higher concentrations to Clothing: Black flies and mosqui- found the devices are completely clothing to avoid skin irritations. toes are less attracted to light colors, ineffective at repelling mosquitoes. Piperidine: Not yet on the such as whites, yellows or light blues. Avon Skin-So-Soft: A hung market; currently being tested by the Black flies can find any exposed flesh, jury. Studies have proven that there U.S. military. so keep shirtsleeves and front buttoned is no scientific evidence as to its Permethrin: Soaking clothes in and tuck pant legs into socks or boots. effectiveness but can thousands of this insecticide can provide protec- Shoulder-length headnets provide welt-free customers be wrong? tion through several washings.
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