How Do Mosquito Eaters Eat Mosquitoes?
WouterDespite their common name, mosquito eaters do not eat mosquitoes. Rather, they eat mosquito larvae. Several species of fish, guppies, and other predatory insects feed on these mosquito larvae, helping to reduce the number of adult mosquitoes.
These insects are usually praised for their ability to control the mosquito population. While some predators can help significantly reduce the mosquito population, others only do so to a certain extent.
Frogs are often hailed as one of the best mosquito control methods. Although frogs will consume a portion of the mosquito population, they are not capable of killing the bloodsuckers themselves. The only way a frog can kill a mosquito is by feeding on its larvae, and that is not possible with the frog’s tadpole stage.
Another form of mosquito eater is the crane fly. This insect is known as a mosquito hawk. These flies have long legs and wings. They can be quite startling to see, especially when they are in the air. These flies are sometimes called golly whoppers or daddy longlegs.
Unlike mosquito eaters, some birds will actually eat mosquitoes. The Purple Martin, waterfowl, and migratory songbirds are among the species that will eat mosquitoes.
Other predators of mosquitoes include dragonflies and damselfly naiads. These creatures are incredibly voracious predators. They will eat almost anything that swims in their aquatic environment. They can also eat other insects, such as flies.
However, these predators are not effective at reducing the overall mosquito population. Some opportunistic predators such as spiders will eat mosquitoes when they accidentally fly into a web.
