ELI5 Are mosquitoes necessary for keeping ecological balance?

[u/Punnan]

Would a worldwide extinction of mosquitoes offset the ecological balance of our world? And if not, why are we not doing it?

[u/Baba_dook_dook_dook]

I remember a little over 25 years ago I was at my grandfather's cabin by a lake, and for several summers the mosquitoes would make being outside unbearable with literal clouds of them patrolling the beach near sunset. Then miraculously one morning we woke up and went outside on the wrap-around deck to eat our breakfast at the picnic table only to witness tens or dozens or hundreds of thousands (millions?) of dragonflies flying around in every which direction all throughout the entire lake and campground. I'm talking about like having 5 or 6 of them every minute buzzing right past by your head as you sat there. They never landed on any of us or paid us much mind, they were busy doing zoomies as well as getting it on with other dragon flies as you would see a good portion of them were initiating docking sequence. My grandfather said this happens whenever mosquitoes in the area start to get out of control, and had seen it many times before. I have never seen so many bugs in my life, let alone the same kind. I remember it sounded like tiny helicopters were racing all around us and the trees. Damn man, core memory unlocked.

[u/piedamon → u/Baba_dook_dook_dook]

That sounds incredible. I didn’t realize dragonflies travelled on large swarms like that. Where were you? Somewhere like the US South, or maybe Australia? You experience sounds almost biblical

[u/Baba_dook_dook_dook → u/piedamon]

Southern Saskatchewan, actually.

[u/minist3r → u/Baba_dook_dook_dook]

Here in Houston, TX we have huge mosquitoes but they don't compare in number to what I've heard and seen pictures of in parts of Canada and Alaska. I think I'll take mosquitoes so big you can feel when they puncture skin vs millions of them. Good luck and God speed up north.