Evaluation of <i>Mesocyclops annulatus</i> (Copepoda: Cyclopoidea) as a control agent of <i>Aedes aegypti</i> (Diptera: Culicidae) in Argentina
We evaluated the potential of <i>Mesocyclops annulatus</i> as a control agent of <i>Aedes aegypti</i> in La Plata city (Argentina). Mosquito larval survivorship due to predation by these copepods was estimated at weekly intervals during the oviposition period of <i>A. a...
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| Autores principales: | , , , |
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| Formato: | Articulo |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés |
| Publicado: |
2004
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | http://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/handle/10915/37157 |
| Aporte de: |
| Sumario: | We evaluated the potential of <i>Mesocyclops annulatus</i> as a control agent of <i>Aedes aegypti</i> in La Plata city (Argentina). Mosquito larval survivorship due to predation by these copepods was estimated at weekly intervals during the oviposition period of <i>A. aegypti</i>. Mean weekly <i>A. aegypti</i> larval survivorship in cylindrical plastic containers (12 cm height and 11 cm diameter) with copepods was significantly lower than in control containers. Furthermore, weekly larval survival was negatively correlated with <i>M. annulatus</i> adult density, and approximately 23 adult copepods/container would be a threshold density over which the weekly mosquito larval survivorship approached zero. The copepods were able to persist in all containers during approximately 100 days (in three of them until the end of the experiment: 155 days) without the resource represented by <i>A. aegypti</i> larvae. The predation and persistence observed suggest that <i>M. annulatus</i> is a potential control agent to be considered in biological control programs. |
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