The autogenous blackflies cannot suddenly change their menus if you happen to wander into range. Their mouth parts are not capable of cutting through flesh. But there is always a balance in nature, and we have our short northern summers to thank for the clouds of biting insects that can be the bane of northerners. Insects tend to emerge rapidly and en masse early in the summer here since they have little time in which to feed, reproduce and lay eggs. Danks says that the next time we re swatting at a swarm of mosquitoes, we should remember that they are one of the linchpins for all life in the north.
Insects are the main food source for northern fishes.
They also give young birds a huge boost. This abundant food supply helps the chicks develop rapidly. Even some vegetarian birds such as ducks eat insects when they are young. Surprisingly enough, there is only one passing reference to Culicidae, the family that includes mosquitoes, in the entire book. Even though most Yukoners would no doubt put mosquitoes at the top of their lists of obvious Yukon insects, no expert chose to focus on this particular family of insects.