Macchar - Control - Natural Predators

Natural Predators

Dragonfly and damselfly nymphs and various other aquatic insect predators eat mosquitoes at all stages of development and dense populations can be useful in reducing mosquito problems. Various small fishes, such as species of Galaxias and members of the Poeciliidae, such as Gambusia (so-called mosquitofish) and guppies (Poecilia), eat mosquito larvae and sometimes may be worth introducing into ponds to assist in control. Many other types of fish are also known to consume mosquito larvae, including bass, bluegills, piranhas, Arctic char, salmon, trout, catfish, fathead minnows, goldfish, and killifish.

Although bats and purple martins can be prodigious consumers of insects, many of which are pests, less than 1% of their diet typically consists of mosquitoes. Neither bats nor purple martins are known to control or even significantly reduce mosquito populations.

Some cyclopoid copepods are predators on first-instar larvae, killing up to 40 Aedes larvae per day. Larval Toxorhynchites mosquitoes are known as natural predators of other Culicidae. Each larva can eat 10 to 20 mosquito larvae per day. During its entire development, a Toxorhynchites larva can consume an equivalent of 5,000 larvae of the first-instar (L1) or 300 fourth-instar larvae (L4). However, Toxorhynchites can consume all types of prey, organic debris,, or even exhibit cannibalistic behavior.

Other natural predators and parasitoids include fungi and nematodes. Though important at times, their effectiveness varies with circumstances.

Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis has also been used to control them as a biological agent.