Skip to main content

Khaoula Mahmoudi

  • Biodiversity Journal, 13 (4): 0805-0812

    Khaoula Mahmoudi, Fatiha Bendali-Saoudi & Noureddine Soltani
    Potential predation of Cyclops fuscus Jurine, 1820 (Crustacea Copepoda) against two mosquito species Culex pipiens Linnaeus, 1758 and Culiseta longiareolata Macquart, 1838 (Diptera Culicidae)
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2022.13.4.805.812

    ABSTRACT
    Due to the increasing pesticide-resistance by vectors, predation of mosquito larvae is one of the most important ecosystems’ services contributing to public health and safety from mosquito-borne diseases. In order to contribute in developing newer and safer biological control tools, the evaluation of the predatory potential of natural mosquito enemies is required. In this regard, our study aimed to evaluate the predatory potential of Cyclops fuscus Jurine, 1820 (Crustacea Copepoda) against two mosquito species, Culex pipiens Linnaeus, 1758 and Culiseta longiareolata Macquart, 1838 (Diptera Culicidae), at four different larval stages (L1, L2, L3, L4) under laboratory conditions. During the 3 days of the experiment, C. fuscus showed an efficiency in the predation of mosquito larvae at some development stages. However, this efficacy followed decreasing rates after the first day. The larvae from the two first instars were almost predated in the first 24 hours with an average mortality of L1=16.0 ± 2.64 (80%); L2=7.33 ± 2.08 (95%) for Cx. pipiens and L1=19.0 ± 1.0 (36.65%); L2=9.0 ± 1.0 (45%) for Cs. longiareolata. Then, the predation rate decreased to negligible. By the end of the experiment, the total consumed larvae of L3 and L4 stages was only 20% for both instars in the case of Cx. pipiens against 25% and 40% of L3 and L4 for Cs. longiareolata larvae. Therefore, our results revealed that developmental stage of the culicidae is an important factor to determine their trophic position (p < 0.001). On the other hand, C. fuscus seems to be having a restrictive role to pre-imaginal Culicidae populations, and thus can be considered to regulate the mosquito population dynamics.