NEW YORK (AP) — By the time he returned home from a short hike Thursday afternoon, Martin DuPain was full of little flying bugs. He had them in his hair, his shirt, and his nose.
When he sneezed, the insects flew out.
As if the smoke coming from the forest fires in Canada was not enough, New York City has been invaded in recent days by swarms of flying insects that have become a nuisance but also a source of fascination: What are they? Where do they come from? Will they ever leave? Another unsavory Canadian export?
DuPain, who lives in Queens, initially thought it was windblown ash, but soon realized it was something else. Some were alive and flying. He quickly got into the shower.
When they crossed between clouds of insects, some people tried to shake them off with their hands. Others covered their mouths and noses, and some wore masks to leave the house.
Professor David Lohman, an entomologist at the City University of New York, had not seen the insects, but concluded from photos and videos posted on social media that they were winged aphids, not mosquitoes as some fanciers claimed.
Aphids are common throughout the United States, including in New York City. They are small, pear-shaped insects, and they come in many colors: from green, red, and yellow to black, brown, and gray.
Although he’s not an aphid expert, Lohman said swarms are rare because aphids don’t typically emerge in New York City until after summer. His theory is that the hot winter temperatures may have thrown off his body clock.
On Friday, Lohman sought out aphid experts who might have something to say.
“Aphids fly around during the growth cycle,” Natalie Hernandez, an aphid specialist, wrote in an email to Lohman. “If a colony is too large, too dense, it will produce winged individuals to spread out.”
Wildfires in Canada and extreme temperatures “could also be affecting them,” he added.
That theory seemed convincing to Andy Jensen, another aphid researcher.
“The smoke is perhaps allowing an abundance of aphids during the summer for longer than normal,” Jensen said. “Many aphids slow or stop breeding during the heat of summer.
Whatever the cause, the city’s Department of Public Health has said there is nothing to be alarmed about.
“While this can be annoying, these insects do not pose a known risk to public health,” the department said in a statement Friday. “We are investigating these insects and will share any important health information.”
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2023-07-01 01:50:29
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