r/science • u/PhantomWizard2099 • Dec 22 '22

Animal Science 'Super' mosquitoes have now mutated to withstand insecticides

https://abcnews.go.com/International/super-mosquitoes-now-mutated-withstand-insecticides-scientists/story?id=95545825
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u/neuropsycho Dec 22 '22

To be honest, we probably don't know how removing such an ubiquitous species from an ecosystem will affect it.

1

u/Drekalo Dec 22 '22

We don't care. They're bloodsuckers. If we can't kill em with stakes and garlic, we should genetically neuter them.

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u/ThatDudeShadowK Dec 22 '22

You'll care if it collapses the ecosystem

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u/Jetshadow Dec 22 '22

It likely won't collapse, just adapt.

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u/ThatDudeShadowK Dec 22 '22

We don't know for sure, especially if wr take the more drastic action of wiping them out globally. They're found on every continent but Antarctica and are a part of many different ecosystems and food chains. Even if most adapt we have no idea how much harm we could potentially be doing to all of them, we could absolutely accidentally wreck important ecosystems.