Understanding the Ecological Role of Biting Flies in Greenland

PhD student: Viktor Gårdman
Institutions: Pinngortitaleriffik – Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Department of Environment and Mineral Resources; Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Ecology

This project concerns biting flies, such as mosquitoes, in Greenland. These flies are a nuisance to both people and animals, with bites that can last for more than a week and cause annoying itches. People in Greenland face thousands of mosquitoes during the summer months every year, yet we know very little about them. My goal is to fill that gap of knowledge.

First, I aim to understand how many different species of mosquitos and other biting flies there are in Greenland, and how they are distributed. To achieve this, I will interact with communities across the west coast of Greenland and ask for help in catching biting flies using special mosquito traps. After this, I will conduct experiments to investigate how weather affects the number of mosquitos that hatch each year, and if different species compete with each other for food and other resources.

While biting flies are best known for their blood-sucking behavior, they also play other roles in nature. I will explore how these other roles, such as providing prey for other animals or pollinators of plants, are connected to the health of ecosystems. I will also resolve what other species depend on mosquitos for their survival. By this combined information, I will investigate the likely future of mosquitoes under climate change, and the likely effect on mosquito-associated species, such as birds or other insects. Finally, I will also investigate whether the biting flies in Greenland carry any diseases, and whether those diseases could be harmful to wildlife, livestock, or even humans.

I expect all this information to be of great value to farmers, hunters, and tourist, among others. My findings will help people in Greenland to understand what mosquitoes and diseases are present in their country, and why there are more mosquitoes in some areas and less in others. My predictions regarding the future of biting flies will also inform the Greenlandic society to be better prepared for future changes in mosquito numbers, and the consequences of such changes on other species and whole ecosystems.

Granted: DKK 2.570.400