Vol. 5, Issue 6, Part A (2018)

Author(s): Bhubaneshwari Devi Moirangthem, Salam Noren Singh and Dhananjoy Chingangbam Singh

Abstract: The control of mosquitoes causing nuisance as well as carrier of dreaded diseases with predacious mosquito larvae had been the focus of the present paper. The larvae of species Lutzia were collected from breeding ground from the previously known site and smallest I instar larval stages were collected and fed on larvae of other species of mosquitoes for different larval stages. The 1^st instar of this species started with consuming the skin cast and later stage started consuming the live larvae of other species of Culex, Armigeres, Aedes etc. hence actual reading started from II stage larva. When they are 3 days old, II stage a single larva consume 8 larvae in 48 hours before they enter the next II stage, III stage consume 14 larvae and IV stage consume 20 live larvae of Culex. Depending the size of larvae, the time of consuming a single larva of II stage of larva of Lutzia varies e.g. Culex larva consumed in around 10 minutes while the bigger larvae like that of Armigeres obturbans required at least 15 minutes to consume whole of larva. Smaller larvae like that of Aedes albopictus required only 6 minutes to consume. Till now there is no known literature of this species acting as carrier of certain mosquito borne disease besides this species did not bite humans, it can be safely argued that this species could be reared and released in spots where the other mosquitoes assumed to breed. The perspective of this boon of nature’s larvicides to control or limit certain mosquitoes if utilized after thorough knowledge of bionomics and efficacy, would be much ecofriendly and cost free for controlling the menace of mosquitoes.

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