Key points:
- Researchers examined rock pools along the James River and found that warmer temperature pools had more aquatic mosquito larvae – even when their predators were present.
- A warmer environment may mean more mosquitos because it becomes harder for their predators to control the population as there is a smaller window of time where mosquito larvae can be eaten.
- The findings from this study may apply to other species including the invasive Asian rock pool mosquito and those that act as vectors for diseases like West Nile or Zika virus.
New research suggests that a warmer environment may mean more mosquitos because it becomes harder for their predators to control the population.
The research, a cover feature in the journal Ecology, finds that rising temperatures, often linked to climate change, accelerate development time of larvae and lead to a smaller window of time that dragonfly predators can eat them.
As predators help to stabilize ecosystems and food webs, the research team developed predictive models linking predators, prey, and temperature. They then tested the models in a complete natural environment.
Researchers examined riverine rock pools at Belle Isle along the James River in Richmond. They found that warmer temperature pools had more aquatic mosquito larvae—even when their predators were present.
The current study focused on the rock pool mosquito native to the area. These mosquitoes are not an important disease vector, but are one of the few local species that does not have to feed as an adult to lay eggs. As a result, the findings might apply to similar taxa such as the invasive Asian rock pool mosquito.
“The mosquito larvae we studied here are the North American rock pool mosquito,” said lead researcher Andrew Davidson of Virginia Commonwealth University. “These findings likely apply to species of mosquitos that do act as vectors for diseases like West Nile or even Zika virus.”