After a hurricane...

[Externet]

Is there any mosquitoes, flies, birds ? For how long ? Did most die or were just carried away ? (or new ones brought with the wind)

If they persist, how does something like a dragonfly manages to stay put in the area ?

Is it a major factor for dissemination of species across regions ?

[insane_alien]

well there are a lot of sheltered areas where they could survive relatively easily. insects and birds live in houses, if the house can survive it then they can survive it too. insects also have the option of tall grasses(at the ground the windspeed will be low) under rocks and various natural nooks and crannies.

 

there are plenty of hideaways where the wildlife can take shelter.

[Skye]

Here's a report on forest wildlife and plants after a cyclone:

 

http://www.wettropics.gov.au/res/downloads/cyclone/NigelTuckerCycloneLarry.pdf

 

Stick insects and moths seem to be fairly heavily affected.

[Moontanman]

I live in an area often hit by hurricanes, i haven't noticed the lack of any flying species after a hurricane.

[Externet]

Interesting, you have not noticed it... How can a mosquito have the strenght/ability to grab onto something or have the instinct to prevent from being carried when soo many other more massive things are transported far away in a soo strong wind force.

 

Is the only thing left to speculate, the mosquitoes after a hurricane were residing far away before the event ?

[jackson33]

Externet quote;

Is the only thing left to speculate, the mosquitoes after a hurricane were residing far away before the event ? [/Quote]

 

 

Specifically on Mosquitoes or many flying insects, their life span as flying insects are limited. Other stages including the egg or larva can be benefited by rain and unaffected by wind. Think one South American Mosquito lives a minute or so, mates and dies.

 

 

There are four stages to a mosquitoes live. These are egg, larval, pupa and adult. The total time it takes for a mosquito to go through all four stages depends greatly on both temperature and species. In a typically warm weather, the life cycle takes 14 days or less, but it can vary from 4 to 30 days. [/Quote]

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_long_is_the_life_span_of_a_mosquito

 

If you think about it: What to you may be a mild rain storm, to the birds or insects is equal to a hurricane, to begin with. As suggested above, most birds live in trees or some structure that provides in many cases better safety from the flooding or wind, than a car would be to humans.

I have also lived in a hurricane prone area (Gulf cost of south Texas), gone through three major storms, several so called low pressure areas (6-10 inches of rain, winds up to 74mph) and have not noticed a decrease in flying anythings...

[Moontanman]

I think Jackson33 is probably correct, some of the insects may indeed have been carried by the storm and left behind as it travels but the bulk are hatched out soon after. a hurricane isn't a two hour event like a thunder storm, one time we were in hurricane conditions for almost 24 hours and the storm it's self affected the weather for days before the storm with heavy rains. By the time the storm was over a huge amount of really mean mosquito's had been hatched out from islands nearby that were normally dry. I've seen birds sheltering in low bushes and even under large objects during the storm. Some birds may even be able to fly above the worst of the storm. The wildest thing is how reptiles and other small animals head for high ground. during one hurricane a family that lived hear me heard an intense noise at their door like someone was trying to break in, they opened the door and found an six foot alligator on their porch trying to get in the door! Rattlesnakes and just regular snakes, lizards, and small mammals often turn up in yards due to humans building on high ground. Animals seem to be able to survive the storms better than a human out in the open for sure!