NEW YORK — Amid the haze and poor air quality in the New York area, something not so pleasant came into view: insects!
“I wanted to avoid them. One of them flew up my nose and it wasn’t pretty,” Martine Perez, from the Upper East Side, told our sister network. News 4 New York.
The little bugs went viral on social media, with users asking “can anyone explain what’s happening in New York right now with these bugs/mosquitoes?” and “what’s next?”
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can anyone explain what is happening in nyc right now with these bugs/gnats?
I thought it was debris from the bad air quality at first, but then I realized that all these small particles all over my body are BUGS pic.twitter.com/gwjeWwVzcS
— Jerm (@jerm_cohen) June 30, 2023
However, Health officials say there is nothing to fear.
“While this can be annoying, these insects do not present a known risk to public health. We are investigating these insects and will share any relevant health information,” a spokeswoman for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said.
Museum of Natural History entomologist Dr. David Grimaldi, (Curator, Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History), answered a few questions for our sister network NBC 4. We share them with you:
What insects are they?
Grimaldi, from the Natural History Museum, confirmed that they are aphids and there appear to be two species. The entomologist said that they could be native species or species introduced years ago (doubtfully recent). We are not seeing swarms of them in northern New Jersey at this time.
What do they do?
“Aphids feed on plant fluids, such as tree leaves. They excrete small droplets of sugary secretions (called “honeydew”), which feed ants and other insects (these droplets are seen on your car when it’s parked under a tree in summer.) Given their numbers, these aphids are probably feeding on the trees along the sidewalks, in Central Park, Prospect and other parks.”
Why so many?
“Each species goes through population cycles over the years, and this could be a boom year for them, with a mild spring and then rains and humid heat. I can’t see any plausible connection to smoke from the forest fires.
Also, for aphids in particular: the local populations of each species tend to be synchronized in their development from wingless to winged morphs (not unlike cicadas), and what we’re seeing is the transition to winged forms.”
How long will it last?
“A lot depends on the weather. If the temperatures remain mild and the humidity and rainfall high, they will survive longer, from a few days to a week or more.”
Is this worrying?
“No. There are absolutely no health concerns. The good news? New York is organic! You wouldn’t see this on a factory farm!”
On the other hand, in a report of the New York Times, the Dra. Corrie Moreau, a Cornell University entomology professor, said she believed the insects, which are green or white in color, are aphids looking to mate.
According to the reportthese insects emerge to coordinate reproduction.
“It’s unusual that there are so many of these aphids swarming around this year,” Moreau is quoted in the New York Times report. “It’s because of the mild winter.”
This swarm of insects, which has many New Yorkers on edge, arrives in the midst of the unhealthiest air of the week across the state brought on by the wildfires in Canada.
The infamous AQI, or air quality index, topped 150 on Friday. If it reaches 200, the state triggers a text alert system advising people to avoid outdoor activity. Especially those with respiratory or heart problems.
The big question is twofold: how long will the poor air quality and insects last?
2023-06-30 20:18:14
#strange #insects #invade #streets #NYC #Expert #answers
