The stripes that the zebra has all over the body repel mosquitoes and insects in general, word of science that in a recent research published in the Journal of Experimental Biology explains that the 'zebra' is the least attractive pattern for blood-sucking insects!
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himThe stripes that the zebra has all over its body are used to ward off flies and mosquitoes, a word of science that in a recent research published in the Journal of Experimental Biology not only confirms the hypothesis, but also explains how the 'zebra' manages not to to approach insects, many of which in the Savannah carry serious diseases.
For years there has been debate about why zebras have stripes and the hypothesis of insects was already the most accredited, but now the researcher Tim Caro and other Swedish and Hungarian scientists tried to give a more detailed explanation through an experiment.
According to the team, the zebra is not attractive to mosquitoes & co. because these insects are mainly attracted to horizontally polarized light, exactly identical to a body of water. For example, aquatic insects use this phenomenon to identify the water where they can mate and lay their eggs.
In practice, the stripes would be a sort of protective shield: when the insects try to get close they are unable to land on the zebra.
“There have been far fewer successful landings on zebras than on horses,” comments Tim Caro, of the University of Bristol's School of Biological Sciences. The idea is that the stripes interrupt the vision of the insect and that there is interference in its visual system in the moments before landing.
In the second experiment, the authors covered the horses' cloaks with an all-white, all-black or striped coat, resembling the dress of zebras. Again, the presence of the stripes reduced the success rate of the insects in landing. Thus, the result confirms this effect, which momentarily blinds the gadflies and prevents them from reaching the animal.
For scientists then: zebras have developed a body in which the stripes are narrow enough to ward off horseflies, mosquitoes and flies. We know that parasites can lead to fatal diseases on animals.
The good news is that stripes also work for humans: have you ever noticed that African, Australian or Asian tribes often have their bodies painted with these geometries?
When the researchers painted a mannequin with zebra-like patterns, they found there were ten times fewer mosquito bites. The idea that the stripes somehow reduce the likelihood of being bitten by mosquitoes has been accepted by most scientists, but the exact mechanism has remained unclear to this day.
"We think the stripes dazzle insects when they get too close," said co-author Martin How of the University of Bristol.
Research continues, but scientists are convinced that the strips are therefore a defense mechanism to avoid infectious diseases.
It means that in summer to escape the ravenous mosquitoes we will all opt for striped clothing, maybe we will look like zebras, but for sure we will be protected from mosquitoes.
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Dominella Trunfio
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