Pollution breeds Super Mosquitoes in Greece!

Majin Gojira · Post by **Majin Gojira** » 2006-07-07 11:12am

The Bad Movies were right! Head for the hills!

ATHENS (AFP) - Cramped housing conditions and air pollution in Athens have given rise to a "super breed" of mosquito that is larger, faster and more adept at locating human prey, a Greek daily has reported.

Athens-based mosquitoes can detect humans at a distance of 25-30 metres (yards) and also distinguish colours, unlike their colour-blind counterparts elsewhere in the country that only smell blood at 15-20 metres, Ta Nea daily reported.

The "super mosquitoes" of the Greek capital also beat their wings up to 500 times a second -- compared to 350 beats for other variations -- and are larger by 0.3 microgrammes on average, the paper said, citing a study conducted by Aristotelio University in the northern city of Salonika.

According to the study, the mosquitoes of Athens have adapted to deal with air pollution and insect repellents, and overpopulation in the Greek capital of over four million has provided them with a healthy food supply.

"Mosquitoes can lay their eggs even inside the trays placed beneath thousands of balcony flowerpots," Athens University professor of zoology Anastassios Legakis told the daily.

Patrick Degan · Post by **Patrick Degan** » 2006-07-07 01:29pm

We're not in trouble until we start getting mosquitos with 60 ft. wingspans. Only Godzilla could save us then.

Redleader34 · Post by **Redleader34** » 2006-07-07 04:46pm

don't let me bring up the macro! Besides, these things can be killed with DDT if the problem gets too extreme

Talanth · Post by **Talanth** » 2006-07-07 05:28pm

I don't understand why this hasn't become more widespread.

TrailerParkJawa · Post by **TrailerParkJawa** » 2006-07-11 04:20pm

Patrick Degan wrote:We're not in trouble until we start getting mosquitos with 60 ft. wingspans. Only Godzilla could save us then.

If not Godzilla then I want to sign up for the first Stinger missile classes held at the local community center.

Wicked Pilot · Post by **Wicked Pilot** » 2006-07-11 05:14pm

Tell people to stop leaving water sitting around. Super or not if the damn things have no place to lay their eggs they'll die in pretty short order. Us backwards inbred Louisianians figured that out decades ago, why can't the Greeks do so also?

Post by **LadyTevar** » 2006-07-11 06:19pm

Wicked Pilot wrote:Tell people to stop leaving water sitting around. Super or not if the damn things have no place to lay their eggs they'll die in pretty short order. Us backwards inbred Louisianians figured that out decades ago, why can't the Greeks do so also?

Or just pour a little olive oil on top of the surface... the nymphs are air-breathers, and if their snorkels can't reach the surface, they die.

l33telboi · Post by **l33telboi** » 2006-07-11 10:26pm

I'm no expert when it comes to biology, but wouldn't the fact that a previously color blind critter suddenly being able to distinguish color mean a major mutation? More so then just increased size and speed?

wolveraptor · Post by **wolveraptor** » 2006-07-11 11:20pm

Not really. The width of color an individual can distinguish between depends on the number of rods (I'm not sure of the exact term) it has. A mere numerical increase surely wouldn't require any drastic series of permutations.

l33telboi · Post by **l33telboi** » 2006-07-11 11:37pm

wolveraptor wrote:Not really. The width of color an individual can distinguish between depends on the number of rods (I'm not sure of the exact term) it has. A mere numerical increase surely wouldn't require any drastic series of permutations.

Ok, just thought it might be an entirely new feature for the species.

wolveraptor · Post by **wolveraptor** » 2006-07-12 12:03am

Don't take my word for it; first of all, I am only certain that vertebrates depend on the system of vision that I was describing. Insectoid eyes may in fact be wildly different.

wolveraptor · Post by **wolveraptor** » 2006-07-12 12:18am

Sorry for the double post. I really should stop being lazy and research before I spit out whatever's on my mind.

Anyway, here are some good links on insect color vision. Here. and here.
Based on the information from those sites, I would wager that the degree of trichromacy in insects is directly related to the number and variety of visual pigments produced by the retinula cell. Keep in mind that even supposedly "color blind" animals produce visual pigments. It's just that they are less discriminatory between the admittedly narrow range of wavelengths of the visible spectrum. Therefore, a jump between "color blindness" and limited trichromatic capacity is not necessarily spectacular.

l33telboi · Post by **l33telboi** » 2006-07-12 12:37am

Thanks for that.

Netko · Post by **Netko** » 2006-07-12 02:40am

I wonder what retarded reaction the Cretenism brigade would have to this news?

Patrick Degan · Post by **Patrick Degan** » 2006-07-12 04:00am

mmar wrote:I wonder what retarded reaction the Cretenism brigade would have to this news?

"A Sign of the End-Times BLEAAAAAARRRRRGH!"

wolveraptor · Post by **wolveraptor** » 2006-07-12 04:37am

mmar wrote:I wonder what retarded reaction the Cretenism brigade would have to this news?

But it's still the same kind!!! What you athevolutionists are saying is that one species will have babies of another species!!! Like monkeys one day having people-babies!!!!!

Ford Prefect · Post by **Ford Prefect** » 2006-07-12 07:47am

This is a reason why I don't think I'll be going to Greece; and if I do go, I'm not taking my socks off. Little fuckers love my feet, they do. If only I got a photo of my feet pink all over from the bites. interesting that the conditions had them changing so they can distinguish colours.