Might be worth adding a wee correction to the article - or simply removing that bit about 700,000 midges. I sometimes get things like that wrong . . . then correct them when I find out!
Also keen to find out more about what happens to midges and what the top consumers are of adult midges? Very hard to find info . . . George Hendry suggests nematodes; I wonder about hammock web spiders taking midges as they go up or as they come down again? Many thanks again for article. We need more countryside rangers!
Hi Peter, Thanks for this fact check - it'll be my mis-interpretation of that statistic!
Bats consume around 3,000 midges per night, it would be a curious challenge to create a midge predator index. They are an incredibly important food source for so many species!
“Dragonflies caught an average of 95% of their prey,” that’s a remarkable statistic. I had no idea!
Exceptionally effective predetors!
Hi Imogen, this is a lovely article that Jackie Wilson on Gairloch and Loch Ewe facebook page and now Caroline Vawdrey of HEF have brought to my attention. Lots of interesting info; I'm a big fan of dragonflies too. However I think the statement about a dragonfly taking 700,000 midges a day is wrong; it may be based on info in the paper reported here . . . https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/dragonflies-are-efficient-predators-that-consume-hundreds-of-thousands-of-insects-locally/ ?
Might be worth adding a wee correction to the article - or simply removing that bit about 700,000 midges. I sometimes get things like that wrong . . . then correct them when I find out!
Also keen to find out more about what happens to midges and what the top consumers are of adult midges? Very hard to find info . . . George Hendry suggests nematodes; I wonder about hammock web spiders taking midges as they go up or as they come down again? Many thanks again for article. We need more countryside rangers!
Hi Peter, Thanks for this fact check - it'll be my mis-interpretation of that statistic!
Bats consume around 3,000 midges per night, it would be a curious challenge to create a midge predator index. They are an incredibly important food source for so many species!