A new paper suggests malarial mosquitoes endure the dry season by aestivating—the hot-weather equivalent of hibernating
Save time by listening to our audio articles as you multitaskThis means such mozzies fly all year round in wet places, but in those that experience pronounced dry seasons, they vanish. In theory, malarial mosquitoes should die out entirely during dry spells that go on for months, for their eggs are insufficiently drought-resistant to last that long. Nevertheless, days after rains return, so too do the mosquitoes.
As with hibernation, aestivation means an animal enters a state of torpor, devoting its energies merely to surviving tough conditions rather than being up, about, and, well, animated. Entomologists sceptical of the migration theory have speculated that mosquitoes use this trick to survive in places with prolonged dry seasons—for example the Sahel, a band of semi-desert that stretches across Africa just south of the Sahara, traversing Mali as it does so. But evidence has been elusive.
Deuterium is a heavy but non-radioactive isotope of hydrogen. Like ordinary hydrogen, deuterium can react with oxygen to yield water, known in this case as “heavy” water. Natural water does contain a small proportion of the heavy variety, but water enriched with the stuff is distinctive and detectable.
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