[01] Muhammad Sarwar, Nuclear Institute for Agriculture & Biology, Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan.

This paper reports on the information and result of long-term laboratory and field studies on copepods (Copepoda: Cyclopidae) as predators for mosquito control inhabiting in tropic and subtropic environments. Mosquitoes have long been vectors of numerous diseases that affect human health and well-being in many parts of the world. Reducing the use of pesticides against insect vectors is one of the big demands of the society because public has always been against the heavy use of insecticides. Copepods are natural and tiny shrimp-like crustacean with a hearty appetite for feeding on mosquito larvae in water holding areas. The copepods thrive in fresh and marine water, and are valuable tool in battling mosquitoes in artificial containers, roadside ditches, small water pools, clogged downspouts and other wet areas that can breed plenty of mosquitoes. These are especially helpful tools in fighting mosquitoes near public places, where use of certain pesticides is restricted. Copepods are relatively easy to culture, maintain and deliver to the target areas, but getting the cultures started requires some effort and time. Copepods are more efficient predator of younger than of older larvae of mosquito and predation drops considerably for 4 days and older larvae. Copepods though prefer to prey on younger larvae, yet also increasingly attack on older larvae as greater predator densities reduce the supply of younger ones. Recent trials show that each copepod might destroy forty larvae per day, cutting Aedes breeding by 99 to 100 percent and in practice these can best be used where most of the local mosquito problem is due to Aedes breeding locations. Once established, copepods are able to survive and reproduce well to maintain viable populations under a wide variety of field conditions. The use of these biological control agents is only one small part of a statewide integrated approach to mosquito control, and not a replacement for long-established procedures. The future additional research can build up new ways of producing and keeping alive copepods that might target specifically dengue vector mosquitoes, but few realistic problems still need to overcome.

Dengue, Copepods, Cyclopoida, Mosquito Control, Biological Control

[01] Briscombe, A., Aaskov, G., Ryan, P.A. and Kay, B.H. 2005. Elimination of dengue by community programs using Mesocyclops (Copepoda) against Aedes aegypti in Central Vietnam. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 72: 67-73. [02] Byer, G. 2004. Laboratory and field studies of Macrocyclops albidus (Crustacea: Copepoda) for biological control of mosquitoes in artificial containers in a subtropical environment. J. Vector Ecol., 29: 124-134. [03] DeRoa, E.Z., Gordon, E., Montiel, E., Delgado, L., Berti, J. and Ramos, S. 2002. Association of cyclopoid copepods with the habitat of the malaria vector Anopheles aquasalis in the peninsula of Paria, Venezuela. J. Am. Mosq. Contr. Assoc., 18: 47-51. [04] Dieng, H., Boots, M., Tuno, N., Tsuda, Y. and Takagi, M. 2002. A laboratory and field evaluation of Macrocyclops distinctus, Megacyclops viridis and Mesocyclops pehpeiensis as control agents of the dengue vector Aedes albopictus in a peridomestic area in Nagasaki, Japan. Medical and Veterinary Entomology, 16: 285-291. [05] Gorrochotegui-Escalante, N., Fernanez-Salas, I. and Gomez-Dantes, H. 1998. Field evaluation of Mesocyclops longisetus (Copepoda: Cyclopoidea) for the control of larval Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) in Northeastern Mexico. Journal of Medical Entomology, 35: 699-703. [06] Jennings, C.D., Greenwood, J.G. and Kay, B.H. 1994. Response of Mesocyclops (Cyclopoida: Copepoda) to biological and physicochemical attributes of rainwater tanks. Environ. Entomol., 23: 479-486. [07] Jorge, R.R. and Sheila, O.C. 2004. Rearing Copepods for Mosquito Control. Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL- 32611. Publication ENY-697. p. 4. [08] Jorge, R.R., Sheila, O.C., Silvia, S., Zulema, M., Lounibos, L.P. and Byer, G. 2004. Laboratory and field studies of Macrocyclops albidus (Crustacea: Copepoda) for biological control of mosquitoes in artificial containers in a subtropical environment. Journal of Vector Ecology, 29 (1): 124-134. [09] Kay, B.H. and Nam, V.S. 2005. New strategy against Aedes aegypti in Vietnam. Lancet, 365: 613-617. [10] Kay, B.H., Carlson, P., Cabral, A.C., Sleigh, M.D., Brown, Z.M.R. and Vasconcelos, A.W. 1992. Laboratory Evaluation of Brazilian Mesocyclops (Copepoda: Cyclopidae) for Mosquito Control, 29 (4): 599-602. [11] Kay, B.H., Hanh, T.T.T., Le, N.H.T., Quy, M., Nam, V.S., Hang, P.V.D., Yen, N.T., Hill, P.S. and Aaskov, J.G. 2002. Control of Aedes vectors of dengue in three provinces of Vietnam by use of Mesocyclops (Copepoda) and community-based methods validated by entomologic, clinical and serological surveillance. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 66: 40-48. [12] Kay, B.H., Hanh, T.T.T., Le, N.H., Quy, T.M., Nam, V.S., Hang, P.V.D., Yen, N.T., Hill, P.S., Vos, T. and Ryan, P.A. 2010. Sustainability and cost of a community-based strategy against Aedes aegypti in northern and central Vietnam. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 82: 822-830. [13] Marten, G.G. 1986. Issues in the development of Cyclops for mosquito control. In: M.F. Uren, J. Blok & L.H. Manderson. Arbovirus Research in Australia: Proceedings of the Fifth Symposium (August 28 - September 1, 1989, Brisbane, Australia). p. 159-164. [14] Marten, G.G. 1989. A survey of cyclopoid copepods for control of Aedes albopictus larvae. Bull. Soc. Vector Ecol., 14: 232-236. [15] Marten, G.G. 1990 a. Evaluation of Cyclopoid Copepods for Aedes Albopictus Control in Tires. Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association, 6 (4): 681-688. [16] Marten, G.G. 1990 b. Elimination of Aedes albopictus from tire piles by introducing Macrocyclops albidus (Copepoda, Cyclopidae). J. Am. Mosq. Control Assoc., 6: 689-693. [17] Marten, G.G. 2000. Dengue hemorrhagic fever, mosquitoes, and Copepods. J. Policy Studies, 9: 131-141. [18] Marten, G.G. and Reid, J.W. 2007. Cyclopoid copepods. Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association, 23: 65-92. [19] Marten, G.G., Astaiza, R., Suarez, M.F., Monje, C. and Reid, J.W. 1989. Natural control of larval Anopheles albimanus (Diptera: Culicidae) by the predator Mesocyclops (Copepoda: Cyclopoida). J. Med. Entomol., 26: 624-627. [20] Marten, G.G., Nguyen, M., Mason, B. and Ngo, G. 2000. Natural control of Culex quinquefasciatus larvae in residential ditches by the copepod Macrocyclops albidus. J. Vector Ecol., 5: 7-15. [21] Marti, G.A., Micieli, M.V., Scorsetti, A.C. and Liljesthrom, G. 2004. Evaluation of Mesocyclops annulatus (Copepoda: Cyclopoidea) as a control agent of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) in Argentina. Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz, 99: 535-540. [22] Nam, V.S., Yen, N.T., Holynska, M.R.J.W. and Kay, B.H. 2000. National progress in dengue vector control in Vietnam: Survey for Mesocyclops (Copepoda), Micronecta (Corixidae), and fish as biological control agents. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 62: 5-10. [23] Nam, V.S., Yen, N.T., Phong, T.V., Ninh, T.U., Mai, L.Q., Lo, L.V., Nghia, L.T., Bektas, A., Vos, T. and Ryan, P.A. 2010. Sustainability and cost of a community-based strategy against Aedes aegypti in northern and central Vietnam. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 82: 822-830. [24] Sarwar, M. 2014 a. Dengue Fever as a Continuing Threat in Tropical and Subtropical Regions around the World and Strategy for Its Control and Prevention. Journal of Pharmacology and Toxicological Studies, 2 (2): 1-6. [25] Sarwar, M. 2014 b. Defeating Malaria with Preventative Treatment of Disease and Deterrent Measures against Anopheline Vectors (Diptera: Culicidae). Journal of Pharmacology and Toxicological Studies, 2 (4): 1-6. [26] Sarwar, M. 2014 c. Proposals for the Control of Principal Dengue Fever Virus Transmitter Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus) Mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae). Journal of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, 2 (2): 24-28. [27] Sarwar, M. 2014 d. Proposing Solutions for the Control of Dengue Fever Virus Carrying Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus) and Aedes albopictus (Skuse). Journal of Pharmacology and Toxicological Studies, 2 (1): 1-6. [28] Soumare, M.K.F. and Cilek, J.E. 2011. The Effectiveness of Mesocyclops longisetus (Copepoda) for the Control of Container-Inhabiting Mosquitoes in Residential Environments. Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association, 27 (4): 376-383. [29] Suarez, M.F., Marten, G.G. and Clark, G.G. 1992. A simple method for cultivating freshwater copepods used in biological control of Aedes aegypti. J. Am. Mosq. Control Assoc., 8: 409-412. [30] Tietze, N.S., Hester, P.G., Shaffer, K.R, Prescott, S.J. and Schreiber, E.T. 1994. Integrated management of waste tire mosquitoes utilizing Mesocyclops longisetus (Copepoda: Cyclopidae), Bacillus thuringensis var Israelensis, Bacillus sphaericus, and methoprene. J. Am. Mosq. Contr. Assoc., 10: 363-373.