Mosquitoes are a common nuisance that can be found in many parts of the world. While their buzzing and biting are annoying to humans, mosquitoes play an important role in the ecosystem as prey for many animals. But which animals eat the most mosquitoes? Let’s take a look at some of the top mosquito predators.
Bats
Bats are voracious predators of night-flying insects like mosquitoes. A single bat can eat thousands of mosquitoes per night. There are over 1,300 species of bats worldwide, and most of them eat insects. Certain species of bats are especially adept at catching mosquitoes, including the little brown bat, Brazilian free-tailed bat, evening bat, and pallid bat. These bats use echolocation to detect the tiny insects and capture them on the wing.
Bats consume mosquitoes in large quantities. Studies have shown that bats can eat anywhere from 30-100% of their body weight in insects each night. The amount of mosquitoes eaten will depend on the bat species, time of year, location, and mosquito population density. Some research indicates that bats may catch up to 600-1000 mosquitoes per hour while foraging. Over the course of a night, this allows them to eat thousands of the pesky insects.
Overall, bats are one of the most significant predators of mosquitoes worldwide. Their ability to detect and capture flying insects at night when mosquitoes are most active gives them an advantage. The decline of bat populations due to factors like habitat loss, white nose syndrome, and wind turbines is concerning, as fewer bats means more unchallenged mosquitoes.
Birds
Many insect-eating birds dine on mosquitoes too. Swallows, nightjars, flycatchers, and some warblers are aerial insectivores that expertly catch mosquitoes on the wing. Meanwhile, other birds like chickadees, herons, and blackbirds eat mosquitoes that they glean from vegetation.
Studies have quantified the number of insects and mosquitoes in particular that certain bird species consume. For example, research shows that:
- Tree swallows can eat up to 850 mosquitoes per day.
- A family of purple martins can eat thousands of mosquitoes per day and tens of thousands per year.
- Red-winged blackbirds eat 38% mosquitoes as part of their diet.
- Bank swallows, barn swallows, cliff swallows, and house martins eat mosquitoes as 16-20% of their prey.
Though individual birds may not rival bats in terms of total mosquitoes eaten, collectively birds eat an enormous number of insects. There are over 5,000 species of birds in North America that feed on bugs. Scientists estimate that insect-eating birds consume between 400-500 trillion insects annually in North America alone. Many of those insects are biting mosquitoes.
Dragonflies
Ferocious predators, dragonflies are another major mosquito eater. Both adult dragonflies and their aquatic nymph stage prey on mosquitoes.
Dragonfly nymphs live under water and hunt mosquito larvae, helping control populations before mosquitoes ever take wing. The nymphs eat mosquito larvae, as well as other aquatic insects and invertebrates.
Adult dragonflies continue feasting on adult mosquitoes as well as other small flying insects. They catch mosquitoes in mid-air with a nearly 100% success rate. Dragonflies snack on 50-100 mosquitoes per day on average. Some large species like the Green Darner may consume as many as several hundred mosquitoes daily.
With over 5,000 species around the world, dragonflies are an abundant predator in many wetland habitats where mosquitoes breed. They are formidable hunters throughout their life cycle, reducing both larval and adult mosquito populations.
Frogs
As a favorite food source, mosquitoes get eaten by frogs big and small. Many frog species dine on the insects both at the larval and adult stages.
Tadpoles and frogs will consume mosquito larvae they find in the water. This helps regulate populations before they grow into annoying biting adults. Certain treefrog tadpoles are especially voracious predators of mosquito larvae.
Adult frogs eat their fair share of fully grown mosquitoes as well. They use their long, sticky tongues to catch mosquitoes and other insects moving nearby. Some frogs can even catch mosquitoes directly out of the air. Various species like green frogs, leopard frogs, spring peepers, and gray tree frogs include mosquitoes in their diets.
Frogs can be quite abundant around wet, warm environments where mosquitoes thrive. Having plentiful frogs around helps keep mosquito numbers down. For example, research in one wetland found that Woodhouse’s toad tadpoles alone ate 27,000 mosquito larvae per day. That’s certainly reducing the number of mosquitoes able to take flight and bite!
Fish
Mosquito larvae grow in the water before emerging as adults. Luckily for us, fish find these larvae to be tasty snacks.
Many freshwater fish species eat mosquito larvae and pupae. Common mosquito-eating fish include bluegills, catfish, minnows, guppies, bass, trout, killifish, and more. Certain fish can consume hundreds of larvae per day. Some mosquitofish in the Gambusia genus specialize in feasting on mosquito larvae and almost nothing else.
Fish help regulate mosquito populations by preying on them at the aquatic life stages. Stocking ponds and other water bodies with select fish species can be an effective, natural way to control mosquitoes.
Besides eating larvae, adult fish also sometimes leap out of the water to grab and eat newly emerged adult mosquitoes resting on the water’s surface before they have a chance to fly away. So fish make the list of top mosquito eaters both as juveniles and adults.
Spiders
As proficient predators of insects, spiders don’t miss the opportunity to catch nutritious mosquitoes in their webs or with ambush hunting techniques.
Web-building spiders like orb weavers catch mosquitoes that get stuck in their webs at night. The spiders then quickly bite and wrap the insects to consume or save for later. A single spider may eat several mosquitoes per night.
Jumping spiders, wolf spiders, fishing spiders, and some other groups actively hunt mosquitoes rather than building webs to trap them. They pounce on mosquitoes resting on plants and other surfaces. Some spiders even chase after mosquitoes in midair!
With over 45,000 spider species globally, these invertebrate predators collectively consume untold billions of insects and mosquitoes each year. Much like bats, their importance for suppressing mosquito numbers is becoming better recognized.
Other Insect Eaters
Spiders and insects that feed on mosquitoes include:
- Praying mantises – camouflaged ambush hunters.
- Lacewings – eat larvae and adults.
- Ladybugs – especially young instars.
- Ants like bull ants – gather larvae and pupae from water.
- Ground beetles – voracious predators.
- Predatory flies like robber flies.
- Water striders – eat larvae and pupae on water surface.
- Predatory bugs like backswimmers and water boatmen.
Though each of these species eats fewer mosquitoes than say a bat, collectively they make a substantial dent in mosquito populations. There are also some predatory mosquito species like Toxorhynchites that only feed on other mosquito larvae, not mammal or bird blood.
Conclusion
Many animals keep mosquito populations in check as predators. But which one eats the absolute most mosquitoes is difficult to determine.
Bats and insect-eating birds are likely near the top. A 2011 study estimated that insectivorous bats alone eat several thousands of tons of insects nightly across North America. Another study calculated that losing 99% of bats in North America could result in 2.4 million tons more mosquitoes per year.
However, the total number is hard to quantify. Dragonflies, spiders, and the other insect predators each eat substantial amounts too. And fish are the main predators of mosquito larvae that keep populations down before adults ever emerge.
The takeaway is that mosquitoes face threats from all sides in the food chain. Bats, birds, dragonflies, frogs, fish, spiders, and other insects all feast on mosquitoes daily. Maintaining biodiversity and habitat is key so these natural pest controllers keep mosquito numbers in check.
Losing any of these predators could tip the balance in favor of mosquitoes. So while we may curse mosquitoes, we should appreciate all the creatures that dine on them even more!
