Educating the Public: Dragonflies, Bats, and Purple Martins Steve Robertson Command Entomologist HQ ACC/A7OO 4 Feb 2015
Start By Waxing Philosophical Ecclesiastes 1: 9... there is no new thing under the sun.... 11 There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after. The one who does not remember history is bound to live through it again -- George Santayana Inscribed on a plaque at the Auschwitz concentration camp Commonly paraphrased: Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.
Public Perception Public believes lots of myths If someone says it, it s the Gospel Truth! Then it spreads like wildfire It is our job to be the Forever! Because the myths never die!
I know! The one that s about to eat you! What is the most dangerous animal in the whole world? I m gonna need a bigger sword!!!
The Mosquito Anopheles quadrimaculatus (Eastern) Malaria Mosquito Anopheles gambiae African Malaria Mosquito Anopheles freeborni (Western) Malaria Mosquito Aedes albopictus Asian Tiger Mosquito Culex pipiens Complex Common House Mosquito Aedes aegypti Yellow Fever Mosquito The mosquito is more dangerous than the tiger. -- Thai Proverb
Why Do You Have to Spray for Mosquitoes? Don t you know that if you d just stop spraying that the...
Natural Pest Management The Perceived Big 3 Mosquito Predators Dragonflies Bats Purple Martins I ain t worried about these jokers!
Dragonflies vs Mosquitoes Both require water for immature stages Dragonflies Long-lived Requires permanent water source Immature stage takes one or more years to complete Mosquitoes Short-lived Can take advantage of permanent & temporary water sources Mosquitoes have more breeding habitats Temporary mosquito breeding habitats are not suitable for dragonfly development
Dragonflies vs Mosquitoes Aquatic Hangouts Mosquitoes Dragonflies Dragonfly naiads hang out on the floor of the water source Mosquito larvae and pupae hang out at the water s surface
Dragonflies vs Mosquitoes Generational Reproductive Rate Dragonflies Single generation/year Several species take 2 or more years to complete life cycle Not able to rapidly increase their numbers in response to a build-up of a multi-generational pest My great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather was born in 1855! My great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather was born in 2007! Mosquitoes Multiple generations/year Fast paced life cycle to take advantage of temporary water sources HA! My great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather was born ONLY 5 months ago!
Dragonflies vs Mosquitoes Adult Activity Periods Dragonflies are Diurnal Adults are active during daylight hours Sun up to sun down Mosquitoes are Nocturnal Most mosquito species are active at night Dusk to dawn
Dragonflies vs Mosquitoes Dragonflies are Not Host Specific Opportunistic feeders Includes immature aquatic stage and adults Flies, bees, butterflies, moths, mayflies, midges, mosquitoes, swarming termites, etc., etc., etc. Even other dragonflies
Dragonflies vs Mosquitoes When the Predator Becomes the Prey Dragonflies are also consumed by other predators Fish Frogs Birds Other aquatic insects etc... I ll take a fat dragonfly over a skrawny skeeter any day. Mighty Tasty!!! Dragonfly naiads are cannibalistic
Dragonfly vs Spider When the Predator Becomes the Prey Hampton, VA Steve Robertson
So Where Does This Research Come From?
Vectors & Vector-Borne Diseases in the U.S. 1890: life expectancy at birth between 42.5 to 45 years of age
Fine!!! So What About Bats?
Page 179
Bats, Mosquitoes and Dollars Dr. Charles A.R. Campbell, 1925 Bats, Mosquitoes and Dollars Dr Campbell s Malaria-Eradicating Guano-Producing Bat Roost Charles A.R. Campbell Introduction by Ernest Thompson Seton Municipal Bat Roost, erected by the City Council of the City of San Antonio, Texas, March 17th, 1916
Bats Heralded as Answer to Mosquito Problems State Office Offers Plans For Bat Houses June 08, 1989 By CHARLES CLARY Staff Writer JAMES CITY (COUNTY) Consider a different way to get rid of those nagging mosquitoes.... Lab studies show that a single Little Brown Bat, one of the species most common in the northern two-thirds of the U.S. and Canada, can catch 600 or more mosquitoes in an hour....
The Echolocation of Flying Insects by Bats Biological Laboratories, Harvard University Donald R. Griffin, Fredric A. Webster, Charles R. Michael Published in 1960: Animal Behavior, VIII, 3-4, pp. 141-154 Research was on ECOLOCATION; NOT ON BAT DIETS!!! Bats were observed in the confinement of a room filled ONLY with mosquitoes or ONLY with fruit flies Echolocated and ate ~10 mosquitoes/minute (extrapolated 600/hour) Echolocated and ate ~14 fruit flies/minute (extrapolated 840/hour) Unfortunately, this research is often MISQUOTED as saying that bats eat 600 mosquitoes/hour Bats prefer larger insects like beetles, wasps, moths, & other large insects In nature, mosquitoes only make up about 1% of the bat s diet
OK, OK, OK!!! But, those purple martins will surely save us! RIGHT?!!! Female Photo by Chris Bosak Male
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Purple Martins Purple Martin Conservation Association (PMCA) Founder: Ornithologist James Hill Martins eat an insignificant number of mosquitoes No more than 0 3 percent of their diet Prefer larger flying insects: June bugs, moths, bees, wasps, butterflies, dragonflies, etc. Research done at PMCA in Edinboro, PA 7-year study Analyzed 500 diet samples from parent martins collected: All hours of day All season long Numerous habitats, including mosquito-infested habitats Results: Zero (0) mosquitoes found in the 500 samples "The number of mosquitoes that martins eat is extremely insignificant, and they certainly don't control them. In-depth studies have shown that mosquitoes comprise no more than 0 to 3 percent of the diet of martins". -- James Hill
Vectors United States & Vector-Borne Diseases in the U.S. West Nile Fever Summary: 1999-2014 1890 United States population was 62,622,250 Year Cases Deaths 2014 2,122 85 2013 2,469 119 2012 5,387 243 2011 712 43 2010 1,021 57 2009 720 32 2008 1,356 44 2007 3,630 124 2006 4,269 177 2005 3,000 119 2004 2,539 100 2003 9,862 264 2002 4,156 284 2001 66 10 2000 21 2 1999 62 7 TOTALS 41,392 1,710
Yellow Fever Park, Norfolk, Virginia 1855 Yellow Fever Epidemic ~2,000 dead ~1,200 dead
Hampton Veterans Affairs Medical Center Cemetery Hampton, Virginia 1898 Yellow Fever Outbreak
End By Waxing Philosophical Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Strength to Love, 1963
Questions OK, you mythbusters: Get out there and educate the public Bust Those Myths! Steve Robertson - Blattaria@cox.net Sorry! I cannot give you my work info because I m changing jobs. Next week I start work at the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Atlantic (NAVFAC LANT)