Mosquito

Mosquitoes comprise thousands of species of parasitic flies. Across the world, humans despise these creatures, though only a few of these thousands of species prey on them. Though individually tiny, mosquitoes abound in sufficient numbers to make up a noticeable amount of biomass in many regions, providing food for many species of birds, fish, and amphibians.

#Mitigation

Mosquitoes carry some of the most dangerous diseases that humans in the Fifth World face. As such, most communities have developed some important ways of mitigating the threat they pose by establishing firm boundaries between them.

Mosquitoes — particularly the mosquitoes that most often prey on humans — lay their eggs in pools of standing water, so most communities have adopted customs that avoid this as much as possible. For hunter-gatherers, when pools of standing water begin to form, that usually means they’ve stayed in one camp for too long anyway and should move along. Horticultural communities have a harder time, since they cannot move so easily. They rely heavily on the spotted gum tree. The oil of this tree repels mosquitoes, so they weave it into their beds and clothes. Villages prize their stills not only because they can produce liquor but also because they can refine the oil of the spotted gum tree into an even more effective mosquito repellent, one which they incorporate into oils, lotions, and creams that they apply regularly.

#Genera

View Page History