Creepy Crawly

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Don't know what this is but it might be the red assassin bug...this is the first time I have ever seen this type of insect.

Genetically Modified Mosquitoes on the Horizon

Nature.com says, "There are 3,500 named species of mosquito, of which only a couple of hundred bite or bother humans. They live on almost every continent and habitat, and serve important functions in numerous ecosystems. Mosquitoes have co-evolved with so many species along the way. Wiping out a species of mosquito could leave a predator without prey, or a plant without a pollinator. And exploring a world without mosquitoes is more than an exercise in imagination: intense efforts are under way to develop methods that might rid the world of the most pernicious, disease-carrying species."

It has been reported that each year, millions of people die from malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever after being bitten by a disease-carrying mosquito. Mosquitoes also carry diseases that pose serious threats to livestock and pets.

Another expert says, "As much as we loathe them, mosquitoes represent a considerable biomass of food for wildlife on the lower rungs of the food chain. Their extinction, were it even achievable, would have an enormous adverse affect on the entire ecosystem. "

But there is a plan in effect to eradicate those pesky blood sucker things off the face of the globe even though they have been here for as far back as 200 million years. Man has a great talent of wiping out things they do not like nor understand such as city managers...had to throw that one in.

The latest news is now out concerning the potential release of genetically modified mosquitoes –

It turns out that the genetically modified mosquitoes could be released into the U.S. environment this year. A private firm plans to initiate the release of the GE mosquitoes in the Florida Keys. Florida will be the first beta testing grounds to determine whether or not the mosquitoes lead to detrimental environmental and genetic impact. Residents in this area will also be subjected — without choice — to these genetically manipulated insects, unless the private firm decides to seek permission.

Dragonfly

Hanging out at Lake Osborne

The dragonflies have very thin bodies and are sometimes called "needles." They have two pairs of very thin, see-through wings that stick straight out from their bodies atop one another.

The dragonflies have incomplete metamorphosis. The larvae live in water and live off of other larvae. The adults eat mosquitoes, gnats and other insects.

Large dragonflies have a maximum speed of 22–34 mph with average cruising speed of about 4.5 metres per second (10 mph).