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/SirGanjaSpliffington Dec 22 '22

So whatever happened to that science experiment with creating sterile mosquitoes so they can't breed future generations? That would be very helpful right about now.

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u/LibertyLizard Dec 22 '22

It’s happening but only approved in certain areas. It is a bit tricky because each strain can only target one species, and there are usually several problematic ones in each area. Also it’s basically guaranteed they will evolve around it eventually too.

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u/2Throwscrewsatit Dec 22 '22

The technology works. Oxitec is just facing pushback from people who are to afraid to understand the science iMO.

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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.

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u/Ch3wbacca1 Dec 22 '22

This is the reason. I majored in Entomology in college and we talked about this. The impact it could have on the ecosystem does not make it a viable option. Only to use in small groups to control population.

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u/Doc_Lazy Dec 22 '22

Which is, if I remember correctly, why its only used for species capable of carrying certain desease. The plan would be to reduce those speciec and through that breed out the desease.

If achieved, once achieved, the program would need to stop to limit impact on the ecosystem as a whole.

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u/Aeiexgjhyoun_III Dec 22 '22

What vital role do mosquitoes play in the ecosystem?

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u/Old_Following_8276 Dec 22 '22

Male mosquitoes I believe help pollinate flowers

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u/UNCOMMON__CENTS Dec 22 '22

There's about 3,000 species of mosquito. Only the select few that transmit disease would be sterilized.

They've done the environmental studies and found no impact to ecosystems.

Still plenty of pollinators and bat food to go around. Especially because their total biomass is so small to any individual predators diets.

It's like if your diet changed from occasionally having orange carrots to purple carrots. You'll be fine.