Open AccessDye another day: the predatory impact of cyclopoid copepods on larval mosquito Culex pipiens is unaffected by dyed environments
Author(s) -
Cuthbert Ross N.,
Callaghan Amanda,
Dick Jaimie T.A.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of vector ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.688
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1948-7134
pISSN - 1081-1710
DOI - 10.1111/jvec.12318
Subject(s) - biology , predator , predation , ecology , attraction , culex pipiens , mosquito control , biological pest control , population , zoology , larva , philosophy , linguistics , demography , sociology , malaria , immunology
Culex mosquitoes are especially evasive of predators when ovipositing. Black pond dyes are known to profoundly attract their oviposition and this study looked at the combination of predator presence and pond dye. Our results indicate that predatory impacts of cyclopoid copepods are unaffected by the presence of pond dye. Their use in synergy with dye may facilitate population sinks characterized by high rates of oviposition coupled with high predation rates. This may increase the vulnerability of mosquitoes to predation at the landscape level and is pertinent given that oviposition site selectivity is currently the greatest hindrance to effective larval mosquito control.