Genetically modified mosquitoes released

[angrychair]

Oxitec's modified mosquitoes, all male, have been engineered to carry a lethal gene; when the modified pests mate with wild female mosquitoes, the lethal gene gets passed on to their offspring.

My biggest concern is that things like dragonflies, bats and other critters eat mosquitoes so if you do away with them what impact will that have on the ecosystem?

https://www.livescience.com/first-genetically-modified-mosquitoes-us.html

[Champp]

1. Toxic masculinity, skeeter style

someone might say.

[femmedem]

2. Insect populations are plummeting.

Not only are mosquitos an important food source for vulnerable species like bats (as the OP points out) and frogs, but male mosquitos are pollinators.

I'm horrified.

[FSogol]

3. There are many other species of moquitoes. Only a couple types of female mosquitoes bite humans

and carry disease. The thought is wiping out the bad ones will allow the other types to thrive. (Read it in an Washington Post article, iirc.)

[Mad_Machine76]

4. Hope it works as planned

[Peppertoo]

5. This technique would affect only one species of mosquito

There are other species.

[Delphinus]

6. Exactly my thoughts.

I worried about this a few years ago when Zika was so prevalent in South America.

I think we are being short-sighted.