Back in Action: A New Update for the iNaturalist 'Mosquito Vectors' Project

Hello, mosquito enthusiasts and community scientists!

It’s been quite a while since we started this project before the pandemic turned our world upside down. But just like mosquitoes are ever-present, our community has continued growing and thriving despite the hiatus. It’s time to reconnect and share some details and updates with you.

Most mosquito species that bite humans are not significant vectors of human diseases. However, distinguishing between vector and non-vector species is crucial, which is why we include all mosquito species in this project. By focusing on accurately identifying mosquito species, particularly those in the genera Aedes, Anopheles, and Culex, we can better understand the distribution and behavior of vectors and non-vectors alike.

Project Milestones: Over 100K Observations!

As of now, the Mosquito Vectors project has amassed:

• 135,136 Observations
• 788 Species
• 48,740 People contributing from all corners of the globe

These numbers represent the collective effort of all iNaturalist users who have taken the time to photograph mosquitoes and those who have helped identify them.

Celebrating Global Contributions

We owe a huge thank you to everyone who has contributed their time and skills to photodocumenting and identifying mosquitoes. Your efforts are crucial in three key ways:

1. Capturing the Moment: The photographs, often taken with smartphone cameras, are the first step in documenting the mosquitoes that people encounter. These images provide invaluable visual records that help build our understanding of mosquito distribution and behavior.
2. Identifying the Species: Just as important as capturing the images is the work of those identifying the species in these photos. This identification process is critical, especially because non-vector species are often confused with vector species.
3. Training the Algorithm: It seems like everything is AI these days, but iNaturalist got there first. The iNaturalist machine learning algorithm is constantly improving with the increase in accurately identified research-grade observations. When you help accurately identify mosquitoes, you improve the training data for the iNaturalist machine learning model.* This, in turn, helps the model better distinguish between vector and non-vector species, enhancing the accuracy of future identifications.

Spotlight on Toxorhynchites

One fascinating group of mosquitoes that deserves special mention is the genus Toxorhynchites. As larvae, these mosquitoes are predators of other mosquito larvae, playing a unique role in the ecosystem. They are also notable for their large size, which sets them apart from the smaller species that are vectors of human diseases. Importantly, Toxorhynchites are not vectors of any human diseases because the females do not feed on blood. Due to their size, Toxorhynchites are not often confused with the smaller, vector species, but their documentation is still crucial. Understanding their distribution and behavior adds another layer to our knowledge of mosquito ecology and helps ensure that non-vector species are accurately represented in our data.

Looking Ahead

I encourage you to keep the observations and identifications coming. Whether you're documenting a common mosquito in your backyard, a rare species in a remote part of the world, or helping to identify any species from across the planet, your contribution matters. Together, we can continue to build this invaluable resource for mosquito research and conservation.

Thank you for being part of this global community. There are many more observations and identifications to come!

Happy observing and identifying!

Best,

Durrell (@cydno)

* I’m aware that in some cases, species or objects that the iNaturalist machine learning algorithm confused with a mosquito have been included, making up a small but notable portion of the observations. If you notice any such instances, please send me a message! Overall, even the observations of non-mosquitoes, once corrected, help retrain the machine ID algorithm and add to the overall growing body of knowledge about mosquitoes, both vectors and non-vectors, worldwide!

Posted on August 13, 2024 04:38 PM by cydno