Mosquitoes are regarded as one of the world’s most stubborn and annoying pests, but this might keep you wondering: what eat mosquitoes? As a predator, what could eat these pest insects?
Search no more; this article is fully comprehended to answer every question in your mind about what eat mosquitoes and the full list of mosquito predators in detail.
Let’s go!
What Eat Mosquitoes?
Certain predators are known for eating mosquitoes on a large scale, including birds and reptiles that feed on mosquitoes.
At first, you might think that there is nothing that can kill mosquitoes except the clap of your hand, but no! Other predators feed on mosquitoes.
The bloodsuckers are now in fear and danger of their new primate. The most wonderful part of this research is that there is a bug as small as the mosquitoes that also feed on it. We shall look into some of these pests in full detail.
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Full List of Mosquito Predators
- Bats
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera and have forelimbs adapted as wings, they are sometimes referred to as the flying mammals, being the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight.
Bats are more flexible than birds, flying with their very long, spread-out digits covered with a thin membrane.
Bats are known for feeding on insects, and yes, mosquitoes are not an exception.
- Birds
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates belonging to the class Aves. They have bodies covered with feathers, toothless beaked jaws, shelled eggs, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweight skeleton.
Birds are also greatly known for their social behaviours, such as communicating with visual signals, calls, and songs and participating in other such behaviours as cooperative breeding and hunting, flocking, and mobbing (an activity in which birds (prey) gang up on predators together, usually to protect their offspring).
Birds feed on a variety of things, such as:
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- Insects, worms, and grubs.
- Seeds, grasses, and plant material.
- Nectar and pollen.
- Nuts, fruit, and berries.
- Rodents, snakes, and other small animals
Among the variety of insects they feed on are mosquitoes! Even though it has been established that birds feed on mosquitoes, it should be considered that not all birds feed on mosquitoes, as birds are of various types and categories.
Examples of birds that feed on mosquitoes are the purple martins, swallows, waterfowl, migratory songbirds, etc. They feed on both the adult and aquatic stages of mosquitoes.
- Fish
A fish is an aquatic, limbless, cold-blooded vertebrate animal with gills and fins living wholly or partially in the water.
Some common fish predators that feed on mosquitoes are the goldfish, Gambusia affinis, guppies, bass, bluegill, catfish prey, etc., and are known to feed specifically on mosquito larvae.
But among all these listed, the most popular fish predator is Gambusia affinis, commonly known as the mosquito fish.
It is probably the most effective predator of mosquito larvae and is used by many mosquito control agencies to augment their control efforts.
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- Turtles
A turtle is a large marine reptile of the order Testudines with a bony or leathery shell that is properly used as a shield for protection.
They are also known to come ashore annually on sandy beaches to lay eggs. There are two categories of turtles: land turtles and sea turtles.
Sea turtles feed on worms, grubs, snails, beetles, caterpillar grasses, fruit, berries, mushrooms, and flowers.
Although there are various categories of turtles, the most popular turtle known for feeding on mosquitoes is the red-eared slider turtle, thought to be the most voracious turtle that feeds on mosquito larvae.
- Frogs and Tadpoles
A frog is any member of a diverse and largely carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order Anura with a short squat body, moist, smooth skin, and very long hind legs for leaping.
A tadpole is the larval stage of an amphibian known for breathing through its gills and lacking legs until the later stages of its development.
Although frogs feed on mosquitoes, they do not take them as a greater part of their diet. Tadpoles also feed on mosquitoes, but not all tadpoles.
The 3 categories of tadpoles known to feed on mosquitoes are the spade-foot toad, the green tree frog, and the giant tree frog, all belonging to North America.
Other insects are also known to feed on mosquitoes, so we can’t leave all the fun to the aquatic and flying mammals. These insects include:
- Spiders
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs and chelicerae with fangs capable of injecting venom. They are the largest order of arachnids in the world.
Spiders feed on common indoor pests, such as roaches, earwigs, mosquitoes, flies, and clothing moths. Yes, the mosquito is also on the menu!
What Do Mosquitoes Eaters Eat?
What do mosquito eaters eat? It might sound strange or hard to get the meaning of what mosquito eaters eat. At least we proceed; let’s take a blink at what mosquito eaters eat.
There are bugs in this world that look like mosquitoes but are not; their body shape has the same long and thin legs, which might look like a more dangerous category of mosquito commonly found in the garden or at home. However, most mosquito eaters do not eat mosquitoes.
Mosquito eaters might not likely be mosquitoes, but I know what you’re thinking—true mosquitoes do eat mosquitoes. Mosquito eaters feed on larvae in the larval stage, but their main source of food is flower nectar.
Mosquito eaters are not fond of biting humans, but the sound produced from their wings is annoying to the ear.
There are two of the world’s most fearsome mosquito eaters: the all-known crane fly, which is not that familiar, and the very common crane fly, which is found in gardens and domestic surroundings.
The cranefly is known to be wild but yet does not bite, and the common cranefly is domestic in the sense that it is found in the house.
This fly is known for its multiplying speed; the weather is always warm when you hear their annoying buzz around your light bulb. They might just be called animals, but their attack on a plant is the reason we refer to them as pests.
They live and build a nest on the soil’s first layer, feeding on crops and roots, and knowing this, they might not be allowed to stay around plants, so that’s where you will need to act first because with them around, there is no point in the possibility that plants will survive.
Read also:Â 4 Insects That Eat Mosquitoes and How to Attract Them
Conclusion
These are just a few examples of the diverse array of creatures that help keep mosquito populations in check.
It’s worth noting that while these predators play a role in controlling mosquito numbers, they may not eliminate them, especially in areas with abundant breeding sites and favourable environmental conditions for mosquitoes.
Therefore, a combination of approaches, including biological control methods and habitat management, is often necessary for effective mosquito management.
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