Hostname: page-component-7dd5485656-bt4hw Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-10-29T17:37:18.118Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Diving beetles (Dytiscidae) as predators of mosquito larvae (Culicidae) in field experiments and in laboratory tests of prey preference

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

E. Lundkvist ,
J. Landin ,
M. Jackson  and
C. Svensson
E. Lundkvist*
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, IFM, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden
J. Landin
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, IFM, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden
M. Jackson
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, IFM, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden
C. Svensson
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, IFM, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden
*
*Fax: +46 13 281399 E-mail: elilu@ifm.liu.se
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Field experiments were performed in artificial ponds to evaluate how the density of predatory diving beetles (Dytiscidae) would affect the population levels of mosquito larvae (Culicidae). Mosquitoes colonizing the ponds were predominantly species of the genus Culex. In 2000, most of the dytiscids colonizing the ponds were small (Hydroporus spp.), and these predators had no impact on the size of larval mosquito populations, not even in ponds with added dytiscids. In 2001, larger beetles (Ilybius, Rhantus, and Agabus spp.) were more common, and there were significantly fewer mosquito larvae in ponds with the highest numbers of dytiscids. There was a negative correlation between numbers of diving beetles in the ponds and the mean body length of mosquito larvae. In neither year could dytiscid densities be maintained above a certain level owing to emigration. In laboratory tests, there were marked differences between three common dytiscid species in regard to preferences for Daphnia and Culex species as prey: Colymbetes paykulli Erichson chose mosquito larvae more often, whereas both Ilybius ater (De Geer) and I. fuliginosus (Fabricius) preferred Daphnia spp. All of the tested dytiscids consumed large numbers of prey. Since some dytiscid species can efficiently decrease populations of mosquito larvae, they are probably important in the natural control of these dipterans.

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Bulletin of Entomological Research , Volume 93 , Issue 3 , June 2003 , pp. 219 - 226
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2003

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Arena, J. & Calver, M.C. (1996) Biological control potential of three species of nymphal odonates against Polypedilum nubifer (Skuse), a nuisance midge (Diptera: Chironomidae). Australian Journal of Entomology 35, 369–371.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bay, E.C. (1974) Predator–prey relationships among aquatic insects. Annual Review of Entomology 19, 441–453.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bence, J.R. (1988) Indirect effects and biological control of mosquitoes by mosquitofish. Journal of Applied Ecology 25, 505–521.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blaustein, L. (1998) Influence of the predatory backswimmer, Notonecta maculata, on invertebrate community structure. Ecological Entomology 23, 246–252.Google Scholar
Blaustein, L. & Byard, R. (1993) Predation by a cyprinodontid fish, Aphanius mento, on Culex pipiens: effects of alternative prey and vegetation. Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association 9, 356–358.Google ScholarPubMed
Blaustein, L., Kotler, B.P. & Ward, D. (1995) Direct and indirect effects of a predatory backswimmer (Notonecta maculata) on community structure of desert temporary pools. Ecological Entomology 20, 311–318.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chesson, J. (1984) Effects of notonectids (Hemiptera: Notonectidae) on mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae): Predation or selective oviposition?. Environmental Entomology 13, 531–538.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dahl, C. (1997) Diptera Culicidae, Mosquitoes. pp 163–186. in Nilsson, A.N., (Ed.) In Aquatic insects of North Europe. A taxonomic handbook. Volume 2. Stenstrup: Apollo Books.Google Scholar
De Szalay, F. & Resh, V.H. (2000) Factors influencing macroinvertebrate colonization of seasonal wetlands: responses to emergent plant cover. Freshwater Biology 45, 295–308.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Deding, J. (1988) Gut content analysis of diving beetles (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae). Natura Jutlandica 22, 177–184.Google Scholar
Fowler, J., Cohen, L. & Jarvis, P. (1998) In Practical statistics for field biology. 2nd edn. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.Google Scholar
Hazelrigg, J. (1974) Notonecta unifasciata as predators of mosquito larvae in simulated field habitats. Proceedings of the California Mosquito Control Association 42, 60–65.Google Scholar
Hershey, A.E., Lima, A.R., Niemi, G.J. & Regal, R.R. (1998) Effects of Bacillus thuringiensis isralensis (Bti) and methoprene on nontarget macroinvertebrates in Minnesota wetlands. Ecological Applications 8, 41–60.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Iversen, T.M. (1971) The ecology of a mosquito population (Aedes communis) in a temporary pond in a Danish wood. Archiv für Hydrobiologie 69, 309–332.Google Scholar
Jackson, D.J. (1952) Observations on the capacity for flight of water beetles. Proceedings of the Royal Entomological Society of London (A) 27, 57–70.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jackson, D.J. (1956) Observations on flying and flightless water beetles. Journal of the Linnean Society of London/Zoology 43, 18–42.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Juliano, S.A. & Lawton, J.H. (1990) The relationship between competition and morphology. I. Morphological patterns among co-occurring dytiscid beetles. Journal of Animal Ecology 59, 403–419.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Juliano, S.A. & Lawton, J.H. (1990) The relationship between competition and morphology. II. Experiments on co-occurring dytiscid beetles. Journal of Animal Ecology 59, 831–848.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Krebs, C.J. (1999) In Ecological methodology. Menlo Park, California: Benjamin/Cummings.Google Scholar
Lundkvist, E., Landin, J. & Milberg, P. (2001) Diving beetle (Dytiscidae) assemblages along environmental gradients in an agricultural landscape in southeastern Sweden. Wetlands 21, 48–58.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lundkvist, E., Landin, J. & Karlsson, F. (2002) Dispersing diving beetles (Dytiscidae) in agricultural and urban landscapes in south-eastern Sweden. Annales Zoologici Fennici 39, 109–123.Google Scholar
Nilsson, A.N. (1997) On flying Hydroporus and the attraction of H. incognitus to red car roofs. Latissimus 9, 12–16.Google Scholar
Nilsson, A.N. & Holmen, M. (1995) The aquatic Adephaga (Coleoptera) of Fennoscandia and Denmark. II. In Dytiscidae. Leiden: E.J. Brill.Google Scholar
Nilsson, A.N. & Söderström, O. (1988) Larval consumption rates, interspecific predation, and local guild composition of egg-overwintering Agabus (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae) species in vernal ponds. Oecologia 76, 131–137.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nilsson, A.N. & Svensson, B.W. (1994) Dytiscid predators and culicid prey in two boreal snowmelt pools differing in temperature and duration. Annales Zoologici Fennici 31, 365–376.Google Scholar
Nilsson, A.N. & Svensson, B.W. (1995) Assemblages of dytiscid predators and culicid prey in relation to environmental factors in natural and clear-cut boreal swamp forest pools. Hydrobiologia 308, 183–196.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peckarsky, B.L. (1984) Predator–prey interactions among aquatic insects. pp. 196–254 in Resh, V.H. & Rosenberg, D.M. (Eds) The ecology of aquatic insects. New York, Praeger Publishers.Google Scholar
Service, M.W. (1977) Ecological and biological studies on Aedes cantans (Meig.) (Diptera: Culicidae) in southern England. Journal of Applied Ecology 14, 159–196.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Service, M.W. (1993) In Mosquito ecology – field sampling methods. London: Chapman & Hall.Google Scholar
Stav, G., Blaustein, L. & Margalit, Y. (2000) Influence of nymphal Anax imperator (Odonata: Aeshnidae) on oviposition by the mosquito Culiceta longiareolata (Diptera: Culicidae) and community structure in temporary pools. Journal of Vector Ecology 25, 190–202.Google ScholarPubMed
Takagi, M., Pohan, W., Hasibuan, H., Panjaitan, W. & Suzuki, T. (1995) Evaluation of shading of fish farming ponds as a larval control measure against Anopheles sundaicus Rodenwaldt (Diptera: Culicidae). Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health 26, 748–753.Google ScholarPubMed
Utrio, P. (1976) Identification key to Finnish mosquito larvae (Diptera, Culiciade). Annales Agriculturae Fenniae 15, 128–136.Google Scholar
Williams, D.D. & Feltmate, B.W. (1992) In Aquatic insects. pp Wallingford, Oxon: CAB International.Google Scholar
Zar, J.H. (1999) In Biostatistical analysis. New Jersey, Prentice-Hall: Inc.Google Scholar