TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of Habitat Complexity on Parasitic Efficiency of Romanomermis iyengari1 on Larvae of the Mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus
AU - Trujillo-González, Alejandro
AU - Pérez-Pacheco, Rafael
AU - Realpe, Emilio
AU - Granados-Echegoyen, Carlos
AU - Platzer, Edward G.
AU - Ortiz-Hernández, Yolanda Donají
AU - Espinosa-Rodríguez, Mariana
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank the National Polytechnic Institute of Oaxaca for their valuable support and editing, and Instituto Politécnico Nacional CIIDIR-Oaxaca and UCMEXUS-CONACYT for financial funding for the research.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Southwestern Entomological Society. All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/9/1
Y1 - 2021/9/1
N2 - Indiscriminate use of insecticides to control vectors of malaria, dengue, and yellow fever contaminates the environment and with time, gradually increases insecticide-resistant mosquitoes, making their control increasingly difficult. Use of the parasitic nematode Romanomermis iyengari (Mermithidae) is efficient biological control against mosquitoes, but little is known of the effect of habitat complexity on the success of infection. We determined lethal doses of the nematode on Culex quinquefasciatus (Culicidae) and analyzed the effect of habitat complexity (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% aquatic debris cover) on successful infection by two lethal loads (10 and 100 parasites per larva). Habitat complexity had no effect on parasitic efficiency of R. iyengari at high concentrations (100 parasites per larva) and significantly decreased parasitic efficiency at low concentrations (10 parasites per larva). Use of combined biological control agents (water bugs (Hemiptera), odonate nymphs (Odonata), and air-breathing fish) of mosquito larvae commonly found in larval habitats should be studied more. Habitat complexity could have a density-dependent effect on parasitic efficiency of R. iyengari on Cx. quinquefasciatus. Complex habitat could affect mobility and ability of a parasite to search for a host. High parasite loads were not affected by habitat complexity and caused high parasite burdens on sampled hosts. Mosquito larvae could reach maturity without being infected by R. iyengari in low parasite loads.
AB - Indiscriminate use of insecticides to control vectors of malaria, dengue, and yellow fever contaminates the environment and with time, gradually increases insecticide-resistant mosquitoes, making their control increasingly difficult. Use of the parasitic nematode Romanomermis iyengari (Mermithidae) is efficient biological control against mosquitoes, but little is known of the effect of habitat complexity on the success of infection. We determined lethal doses of the nematode on Culex quinquefasciatus (Culicidae) and analyzed the effect of habitat complexity (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% aquatic debris cover) on successful infection by two lethal loads (10 and 100 parasites per larva). Habitat complexity had no effect on parasitic efficiency of R. iyengari at high concentrations (100 parasites per larva) and significantly decreased parasitic efficiency at low concentrations (10 parasites per larva). Use of combined biological control agents (water bugs (Hemiptera), odonate nymphs (Odonata), and air-breathing fish) of mosquito larvae commonly found in larval habitats should be studied more. Habitat complexity could have a density-dependent effect on parasitic efficiency of R. iyengari on Cx. quinquefasciatus. Complex habitat could affect mobility and ability of a parasite to search for a host. High parasite loads were not affected by habitat complexity and caused high parasite burdens on sampled hosts. Mosquito larvae could reach maturity without being infected by R. iyengari in low parasite loads.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85116431005&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3958/059.046.0307
DO - 10.3958/059.046.0307
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85116431005
SN - 0147-1724
VL - 46
SP - 657
EP - 665
JO - Southwestern Entomologist
JF - Southwestern Entomologist
IS - 3
ER -