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1 June 2013 Sustainable Control of Mosquito Larvae in the Field by the Combined Actions of the Biological Insecticide Bti and Natural Competitors
Iris Kroeger, Matthias Liess, Frank Dziock, Sabine Duquesne
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Abstract

Integrated management of mosquitoes is becoming increasingly important, particularly in relation to avoiding recolonization of ponds after larvicide treatment. We conducted for the first time field experiments that involved exposing natural populations of the mosquito species Culex pipiens to: a) application of the biological insecticide Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti), b) the introduction of natural competitors (a crustacean community composed mainly of Daphnia spp.), or c) a combined treatment that involved both introduction of a crustacean community and the application of Bti. The treatment that involved only the introduction of crustaceans had no significant effect on mosquito larval populations, while treatment with Bti alone caused only a significant reduction in the abundance of mosquito larvae in the short-term (within 3–10 days after treatment). In contrast, the combined treatment rapidly reduced the abundance of mosquito larvae, which remained low throughout the entire observation period of 28 days. Growth of the introduced crustacean communities was favored by the immediate reduction in the abundance of mosquito larvae following Bti administration, thus preventing recolonization of ponds by mosquito larvae at the late period (days 14–28 after treatment). Both competition and the temporal order of establishment of different species are hence important mechanisms for efficient and sustainable mosquito control.

Iris Kroeger, Matthias Liess, Frank Dziock, and Sabine Duquesne "Sustainable Control of Mosquito Larvae in the Field by the Combined Actions of the Biological Insecticide Bti and Natural Competitors," Journal of Vector Ecology 38(1), 82-89, (1 June 2013). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1948-7134.2013.12012.x
Received: 20 September 2012; Accepted: 6 November 2012; Published: 1 June 2013
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KEYWORDS
biological control
Cladocera
colonization
insecticide
intraspecific competition
priority effect
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