Matthew sent me the tweet below, which of course compelled me to go see ZeFrank’s new video (also below). It’s a long one (17 minutes), but is superb—full of biological facts that show the diversity of mosquito behavior, and with unbelievably good photography. While some of the jokes are a bit off-color, I can’t see that showing this to a class in middle school or high school would be offensive.
This new @zefrank mosquito video is tremendous. The biology is great, but the jokes are too adult for me to show it in the entomology class. https://t.co/8HkDYDa2V4
— Dr. Alex Wild (@Myrmecos) October 25, 2021
Do watch the whole thing; you’ll be much enlightened. (There’s a short ad in the middle.) I was. Just the way the mosquitoes bite is fantastic: their multipart mouthparts and the ability of the “needle” that sucks blood to actually search around under the skin to find a juicy capillary.
+mucho
This is brilliant.
The photography is simply astonishing!
Makes one not hate mosquitos quite as much. I wonder if there is anything that can do that for the most miserable of all horror-show creatures: ticks.
He does have a tick video but it’s not as extensive or as long or “diverse” but it is good. It’s Ze Frank, after all.
I’ve probably seen it along the way and just didn’t come away with any sympathy or respect for the icky little monsters.
Now I’m all itchy!
Totally cool!
I always wondered how they are beneficial other than as food for bats and dragonflies. I did not know that they are pollinators.
I still prefer butterflies and bees, though.
Great! Ze Frank always makes good stuff.
If you haven’t seen it, look up his Invocation To Begin video.
+1