Insect Plague Threatens Taj Mahal

I plan on doing lots of traveling over the course of my life. There’s so many places to see, but the Taj Mahal is definitely towards the top of my list! Unfortunately, the clock may be ticking fast for this particular endeavor, due to a nasty infestation of a type of fly from the genus Goeldichironomus!

According to a recent Associated Press story, this tongue twister of a fly genus has enjoyed a recent boom in population, due to rising pollution in the Yamuna River killing off many of the fish that once balanced the fly population. The resulting uninhibited fly population has started to leave its stain on the pristine walls of the Taj Mahal in the form of a nasty green and black residue. Efforts to clean off this residue end up damaging both the marble surface as well as the priceless mosaics that make the landmark what it is.

How can ecologists correct this imbalance in the local ecosystem? Should new fish be introduced to predate the flies? Should pollution levels be regulated to reintroduce the initial fish? Should pesticides be sprayed, potentially having unanticipated side effects that create even more problems?

If we want to save this treasure of human history, our first move should be to study these mosquito-like flies, gain a closer understanding about their behavior, biology, the residue they are leaving and why they are doing it. Only then can we arrive at an answer that will treat all involved parties justly.