Due to global warming, mosquitoes will also be increasingly active in the winter period, as confirmed by a new study
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himDue to global warming, mosquitoes will be increasingly active even in the winter period, as confirmed by a new study conducted by the University of Florida. And there is no need to rest assured, considering that they are vectors of diseases
Summer is one of the most awaited and loved seasons by everyone, except for one factor: mosquitoes, which often turn into a real torment, especially in the hottest periods. But it seems that we will have to resign ourselves to living with these insects, which often spread diseases, even in the winter months. And the "blame" is attributable to climate change, as revealed by a recent study conducted by the University of Florida and published in the journal "Ecology".
In tropical regions, mosquitoes are active all year round, but this is not the case in the rest of the world. - explains Brett Scheffers, professor at the Department of Ecology and Wildlife Conservation at the University of Florida - Outside the tropics, winter temperatures cause mosquitoes to go into a kind of hibernation called 'diapause'. However, with climate change, we expect summers to get longer and winters to get shorter and warmer. What will this mean for those cold-related mosquitoes? How will they react?
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The details of the study
To answer these questions, the study authors performed a series of experiments with mosquitoes taken in Gainesville, a city in north-central Florida that sits on the dividing line between subtropical and temperate climates. The researchers compared how mosquitoes collected during different times of the year reacted to changes in temperature.
Scientists lured mosquitoes with special traps that emit carbon dioxide. For a mosquito, a strong smell of carbon dioxide indicates the presence of a meal nearby. Thanks to these traps, the researchers managed to catch more than 28.000 mosquitoes, representative of 18 species, and sampled about 1.000 at random, which they then subjected to different temperatures in the laboratory.
"We found that the mosquitoes in our study are what we call 'plastic,' which means that, like a rubber band, the range of temperatures they can tolerate extends and contracts at different times of the year," explains Scheffers.
Experts have found that in spring, when night temperatures are still cold and daytime temperatures begin to rise, mosquitoes can tolerate various temperature changes. In summer, however, when the daily temperatures are warmer, the temperature range is reduced. Finally, in the autumn months, the interval gets longer again.
"This tells us that as climate change makes our autumns and winters warmer, mosquitoes in more temperate regions are well prepared to be active during those times," says Scheffers.
An incredible ability to adapt to changes in temperature
Researchers at the University of Florida admitted that they cannot explain what allows mosquitoes to adapt so easily to rapid changes in temperature.
"Many people do not realize how quickly natural selection can act on short-lived animals," said Professor Daniel Hahn, co-author of the study. But what worries scholars is mainly the spread of diseases that mosquitoes are carriers of.
"The more mosquitoes there are, the greater the risk of disease spreading" - points out Scheffers - Knowledge is power and knowing that mosquitoes will be more active at more times of the year can push us to prepare for climate change.
How to act to contain the mosquito population and reduce the spread of diseases
According to entomologist Peter Jiang, one of the study's co-authors, residents play an important role in mosquito control both now and in the future. Thanks to simple actions it would be possible to contain the mosquito population.
"People should be encouraged to empty, remove or cover any containers that may contain water - especially old bottles, cans, trash and tires - repair leaking pipes, outdoor taps and screens, cover or flip small boats, and, twice a week , change the water in children's pools, bird tanks and flower and plant pots, ”Jiang explains.
Fonte: Ecology
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