Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Natural Enemies of Stegomyia Calopus , M eigen

1921; Maney Publishing; Volume: 15; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/00034983.1921.11684276

1364-8594

C. J. Young,

Viral Infections and Vectors

During the examination of various collections of water in Manaos for the larvae of Stegomyia calopus, their absence from many apparently suitable breeding-places attracted attention.Larvae were found capable of developing in water taken from some of these places, except when certain insects were present.A collection of various aquatic insects from ponds, igarapés, etc., was therefore made and placed in jars of water together with the larvae of S. calopus.Under these conditions the following were found to destroy Stegomyza larvae with varying degrees of efficiency: larvae of dragonflies, water bugs (Hemzftera) and their larvae, larvae of water beetles, and two others not identified.Of these the larvae of dragonflies and water bugs were found to be the most destructive to the larvae of S. calopfus in captivity.The habits of S. calopfus larvae, which constantly range about in search of food, render them particularly liable to attack by predaceous insects, as compared to certain Culex and Anopheles larvae which may remain stationary at the surface for long periods.The commonest mosquito larvae found in Mandaos were those of Siegomyia calopus and Culex fatigans; these two species were frequently discovered breeding together in wells, barrels and other collections of water.The movements of both larvae and pupae of C. fatigans differ from those of S. calopus in being much quicker, thus rendering them less easily caught by predaceous insects.The larvae of C. fatigans spend most of their time at the surface, but