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[-] match@pawb.social 130 points 3 months ago

i am under the impression that mosquitos, as an invasive species, do not fill an important ecological niche and could go extinct and be replaced by other insects

[-] seaplant@slrpnk.net 66 points 3 months ago

I think that's true for the Aedes egypti species at least, they're not native in the Americas and are a main disease-spreading species

[-] Zwiebel@feddit.org 20 points 3 months ago

Invasive where? They can't be invasive in general

[-] cm0002@lemmy.world 49 points 3 months ago

They're invasive of the PLANET

[-] exasperation@lemm.ee 8 points 3 months ago

I think in Lilo and Stitch the aliens mention in passing that they use Earth as a wildlife preserve for mosquitoes.

[-] protist@mander.xyz 26 points 3 months ago

Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus are invasive in all of North and South America

[-] NichtElias@sh.itjust.works 15 points 3 months ago

They're invading my personal space

[-] froggycar360@slrpnk.net 14 points 3 months ago

Many of the most common species of mosquitos in america are invasive

[-] SirSamuel@lemmy.world 14 points 3 months ago

My back patio, the little shits

[-] LibertyLizard@slrpnk.net 16 points 3 months ago

This has been a common sentiment but it hasn’t been proven in any substantial way to my knowledge. I personally doubt it’s accurate. That’s not to say the entire ecosystem would collapse but there would likely be consequences.

That said, the other commenter is correct that there are many introduced mosquito species that could probably be eradicated from their non-native range without major ecological harm. And the species that are the worst pests in human cities tend to be introduced, so eliminating them might significantly reduce the level of bites and disease transmission for people.

[-] cm0002@lemmy.world 12 points 3 months ago

Mosquitos are a nuisance to every mammal, I think if we could talk to animals this is how it would go down

Human: "So anyways we've been mulling over making the mosquito extinct, but it might have some consequences for yo..."

Mammals: "WTF BRO YOU COULD HAVE DONE THAT THE ENTIRE TIME! WHY TF ARE YOU STILL HERE GET RID OF THOSE FUCKERS!"

[-] Scubus@sh.itjust.works 10 points 3 months ago

TBF humans historically have been pretty lax in doing anything simply because it was a good thing to do

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[-] CarbonatedPastaSauce@lemmy.world 94 points 3 months ago

Ok but I still think the mosquito thing is worth a try. I’m even willing to live alongside wasps but mosquitoes gotta go!

[-] mmddmm@lemm.ee 57 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

The mosquito thing is known to be false, and people only ever talk about extinguishing half a dozen species of them at most, that are invasive on most parts.

[-] cm0002@lemmy.world 14 points 3 months ago

Half a dozen out of 6k+ lmao

[-] tischbier@feddit.org 44 points 3 months ago

I’m willing to pump up other insects to get rid of mosquitoes

[-] Gullible@sh.itjust.works 33 points 3 months ago

Can I be an insect?

..🥺
👉👈

[-] variants_of_concern@lemmy.one 10 points 3 months ago

We'll pump you full of larvae

[-] Gullible@sh.itjust.works 9 points 3 months ago

I’m prepping my ovipositors as we speak

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[-] AwesomeLowlander@sh.itjust.works 72 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

I call BS on at least some of those claims. Citation or GTFO

[-] cm0002@lemmy.world 77 points 3 months ago

The mosquito one is absolutely BS, there's 6k+ species of mosquitoes but only like a couple bite humans

The bats and shit will be fine, it's time to eradicate mosquitoes!

[-] Treble 16 points 3 months ago

Agreed. There is a method that is simple, cheap, and non-toxic (to everything else).

[-] Taleya@aussie.zone 15 points 3 months ago

BTI? checks link. Yeahh bti.

Also fucks up fungus gnats

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[-] Mustakrakish@lemmy.world 62 points 3 months ago

The small section of mosquitoes that bite humans actually don't serve a critical niche like that, and just spread disease. Why the idea has been floated at sterilizing them.

[-] CarbonIceDragon@pawb.social 38 points 3 months ago

How many species of birds and bats eat just mosquitoes though, or a high enough percentage that they would go extinct rather than shift to rely more on their other prey species, even if at a smaller population? And are those particular species of birds and bats worth the consequences of having mosquitoes?

[-] CaptainBlagbird@lemmy.world 10 points 3 months ago

Which would maybe force some other animals to change their behaviour slightly more, which in turn affects yet other species. And so the butterfly effect rolls on.

Or it doesn't and the system stabilises in another state. Who knows, can we actually know it with a high enough certainty or are the dependencies and behavioural guesses too complex?

[-] CarbonIceDragon@pawb.social 10 points 3 months ago

I mean, has the system ever not eventually stabilized in another state? The fact that we have had extinctions, quite a lot of them even involving most species that have ever existed, and yet complex life and ecosystems still exist, would suggest that life will find a way to adapt around such a loss given time.

[-] Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works 32 points 3 months ago

I would gladly feed the birds and bats to be rid of mosquitoes.

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[-] riskable@programming.dev 31 points 3 months ago

What would happen if bedbugs went extinct? Other than mass celebrations, I mean.

[-] trotfox@lemmy.world 22 points 3 months ago

If humans went extinct, the planet gets better?

[-] flambonkscious@sh.itjust.works 7 points 3 months ago

Tremendously! We're like a tumour

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[-] SpaceScotsman@startrek.website 18 points 3 months ago

OK, but all the ticks can go die in a fire

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[-] alquicksilver@lemmy.world 15 points 3 months ago

Explain humans. Checkmate, scientists!

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[-] x4740N@lemm.ee 13 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Nothing evolves to have a purpose, something just mutated by chance that happens to serve a beneficial function to the environment and other organisms

Also I'm pretty sure birds, bats and plants can eat other bugs

What's the statistics on bug food for birds and plants ?

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[-] ryedaft@sh.itjust.works 11 points 3 months ago
[-] lath@lemmy.world 17 points 3 months ago

Smoking roaches gets you high.

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[-] thedeadwalking4242@lemmy.world 10 points 3 months ago

I thought some of the specific mosquitoes that prey on humans can be killed with little side effects. Or is that just my cognitive bias dreaming of a better world

[-] RusAD@lemm.ee 9 points 3 months ago

I can tolerate most pests, even cockroaches, but I draw the line at bedbugs. Don't care if they have any purpose, just fuck them

[-] MossyFeathers@pawb.social 9 points 3 months ago

There are many types of mosquitoes, but only a few suck blood. It's the bloodsuckers they're talking about when they say no one would miss them.

[-] TodaviaTyler@lemmy.world 8 points 3 months ago

Sounds like something a wasp would say

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[-] randomname@sh.itjust.works 8 points 3 months ago

If screworms went extinct there wouldn't be any animals starving... same with a lot of pests. guinea worm for example.

[-] millie@beehaw.org 7 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

If humans went extinct.. um...

Um.

UUMMMM.......!!!!!

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[-] SARGE@startrek.website 7 points 3 months ago

I absolutely like pests!

I like them to stay out of my house, mostly.

But you know, all the other stuff that helps keep us alive is a big bonus, too.

[-] the_q@lemm.ee 7 points 3 months ago

If humans went extinct the planet would find balance.

[-] AwesomeLowlander@sh.itjust.works 12 points 3 months ago

'Balance' is a human concept. The planet will get by fine. The only relevant question is whether humans will.

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this post was submitted on 07 Apr 2025
503 points (100.0% liked)

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