The biological control of mosquito larvae populations using larvivorous fish

Authors: Matthew F. Peralta, Ayesha S. Burdett, Thomas F. Turner

Year: 2010 (xlii)

Abstract

Summer drydown conditions in the Rio Grande, New Mexico, are often optimal for mosquito larvae (Family: Culicidae). This may have serious implications for human health, since it is known that mosquitoes are disease vectors for the West Nile Virus and other mosquito-borne illnesses. Several recent studies suggest that fish can provide an ecosystem service by acting as a biological control to suppress mosquito populations. Our research investigates the role of fish as top-down controllers of mosquito populations within the Rio Grande. We used data from a mesocosm study in 2009 to evaluate abiotic and biotic factors which may influence the presence and abundance of larval mosquito populations during these seasonal conditions. Additionally, we analyzed gut content data of the fish present in the mesocosms in order to determine which species consumed the most culicid larvae. Preliminary results suggest that the presence of larval fish significantly reduced the abundance of mosquito larvae (ANOVA: p-value = 0.031). Furthermore, gut content analysis revealed native fish of the Rio Grande consumed more Culicid larvae than non-native fish. This suggests that the presence of larval fish is providing a critical ecosystem service to human health, thus making the ongoing efforts of restoration of native fishes to the Rio Grande fruitful.