"no more noble than mosquitoes" ?

[Ron Gatrelle]

I said:
They [butterflies] are no more noble than mosquitoes, termites or roaches -
and no more important.


Mike Quinn <Mike.Quinn at tpwd.state.tx.us responded:
Subject: "no more noble than mosquitoes" ?


Butterflies may not be as angelic as most think, but they are certainly not
as low as the ignoble mosquito:

"Mosquito-borne diseases are among the world's leading causes of illness
and death today. The World Health Organization estimates that more than 300
million clinical cases each year are attributable to mosquito-borne
illnesses."

Joint Statement on Mosquito Control from EPA & CDC

========================

Mosquitoes have never killed anyone (except those allergic to them).
People have killed and continue to murder their own kind by the tens of
millions.  People also remain bent on seeing just how many of us we can
fill the earth with before it's complete environmental collapse.

South Carolina had thought it had about 1200 coastal salt / brackish marsh
islands.  Recent satellite images have revealed it has more than 2500.  The
state is now looking into how may of these islands will be allowed to have
bridges built to them for economic development - housing for the rich and
almost famous.  Of course this is the home of zillions of mosquitoes.  They
will naturally need to be sprayed to death as they are "ignoble".

Mosquitoes and Lepidoptera are exactly what I said they are. Butterflies
are no more noble than mosquitoes and no more important to the world's
ecological well being.  Without mosquitoes the food chain in marsh lands
would collapse.  It is not the mosquitoes fault that microorganisms hitch
rides on them and THEY infect humans and other animals.  Humans who know
this are pretty stupid to want to build housing projects smack in the
middle of Mosquito-ville.  But we seem to like fault lines, hillsides made
of mud, hurricane manicured barrier islands and other such dumb places to
set up house keeping and whole cities. We insist on being able to camp in
Mr. Grizzly's kitchen but get upset when he wants us to stay for lunch.

I would think all the environmental do-gooders would be thrilled that
mosquitoes are doing their part in keeping the human population in check -
since this is supposedly the environment's # 1 public enemy.  Too bad
butterflies aren't on board in that politically correct effort.  Perhaps
they are but we just don't know about it yet.  The bottom line is just what
I said it was.  Warped human thinking.  Millions believe in smashing
mosquitoes by the billions.  The great majority of those same millions
think Leps (except for corn bores, clothes moths etc) should be protected
from being killed - especially by mean old butterfly collectors.

I for one and happy when I go out into a wetland as I did last week and am
swarmed by mosquitoes.  I know it is a healthy environment.  I am grieved
when I visit places like Cypress Gardens here locally where and when the
Lep. Society held its evening barbecue along side the marsh and not one
mosquito was to be seen or heard.  Or in the Florida keys. Or soon many of
the 2500 South Carolina salt marsh islands.  We _need_ mosquitoes and algae
and plankton and termites and flys and roaches and even butterflies.

Ron Gatrelle

PS    While I am attempting to get some the get a grip on reality, I should
mention that the correct term is _cannibalism_ nor sibling rivalry when
leps. larvae enjoy feeding on each other.



 
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