Buenos Aires Herald reports that stowaway mosquitoes are threatening the once isolated wildlife on the Galapagos Islands.The invasive insects are believed to be transported by planes and tourist boats, ferried to the island by the increasing number of tourists.
Experts fear the spread of the southern house mosquito, or Culex quinquefasciatus, could have the same devastating effect in the Galapagos as in Hawaii during the late 19th century, when disease wiped out many indigenous birds.Read the full story: Stowaway mosquitoes threaten Galapagos wildlife
The government of Ecuador recently introduced a requirement for insecticide spraying on aircraft flying to the Galapagos, but the scientists said the scheme's effectiveness was not being monitored and the rules did not apply to cargo ships.
Mosquitoes are the latest in a string of invaders - including rats, wild pigs, flies and invasive plants - that have colonized the Pacific islands, located about 600 miles off South America's coast along the equator.
Photo from BA Herald
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