A Nigerian academic has called on people
to express sympathy when dealing with
insects especially mosquitoes which he has
described as friends of man.
A Professor of Entomology at the University
of Ilorin, Adeolu Ande, has decried killing
mosquitoes, saying the insects are friends to
humans that deserved to be properly
managed.
Ande made the statement on Monday in
Ilorin in a paper he presented at a public
seminar organised by the university.
In his paper with the title “Consider the
ways of Ants and be Wise,” the entomologist
described insects as the “most successful
and influential group’’ of organisms in the
biosphere.
He said that humans had a lot to learn from
insects in order to be wise.
“Human life is beset with inevitable
associations with insects that have over the
years influenced human destiny positively
and negatively.
“Negative influences, such as disease
transmission, crop losses, food spoilage,
economic losses and nuisance value caused
by less than 5 per cent of insect species
have been exaggerated by man.
He said that positive influences of insects
are not unappreciated and downplayed. He
listed some of them to include: pollination of
flowers, waste recycling and sustenance of
the ecosystem.
Others, he said, include source of silk,
shellac, cochineal, therapeutic agents,
aesthetics, biological control agents and
food source.
The don said that man deliberately
misunderstood the role of mosquitoes and
frequently described them as causing the
diseases they transmit.
He said: “in the actual sense, mosquitoes are
equally sick but inadvertently and unwillingly
convey pathogens that are the real causal
agents of these diseases.
“The female mosquito could be described as
an example of a true mother who is forced
to undertake suicide mission in its bid to
provide for its unborn children.
“The adult female mosquitoes have
exceptional value for child-raising hence the
level of commitment and risk they take on
the mission that entails decision between
life and death.
“The after effect of this commitment is a
well thought out plan that forestalls most of
the factors that may stand in the way of
raising good children.
“I am sure most human females will not take
comparable decision in the face of similar
attendant risks.
“It is however certain that children born
after well thought out and risky conditions
are better posited for quality living than
those produced carelessly.
Ande said that mosquitoes had proved over
the years that they are our friends and allies,
adding that if we like them or not, they
would exist and continue to source blood
from humans.
The professor called for improvement in
Zoology curriculum to ensure better focus
on organisms that feature prominently
around man.
He said that zoologists were expected to be
the foster parents of animals in the Zoo,
adding that they should be familiar with
their needs and their health status.
