Sustainable control of mosquito larvae in the field by the combined actions of the biological insecticide Bti and natural competitors

Integrated management of mosquitoes is becoming increasingly important, particularly in relation to avoiding recolonization of ponds after larvicide treatment. We conducted for the first time field experiments that involved exposing natural populations of the mosquito species Culex pipiens to: a) application of the biological insecticide Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti), b) the introduction of natural competitors (a crustacean community composed mainly of Daphnia spp.), or c) a combined treatment that involved both introduction of a crustacean community and the application of Bti. The treatment that involved only the introduction of crustaceans had no significant effect on mosquito larval populations, while treatment with Bti alone caused only a significant reduction in the abundance of mosquito larvae in the short‐term (within 3–10 days after treatment). In contrast, the combined treatment rapidly reduced the abundance of mosquito larvae, which remained low throughout the entire observation period of 28 days. Growth of the introduced crustacean communities was favored by the immediate reduction in the abundance of mosquito larvae following Bti administration, thus preventing recolonization of ponds by mosquito larvae at the late period (days 14–28 after treatment). Both competition and the temporal order of establishment of different species are hence important mechanisms for efficient and sustainable mosquito control.     

Temporal and spatial habitat preferences and biotic interactions between mosquito larvae and antagonistic crustaceans in the field

Investigations on natural antagonists of mosquito larvae found that micro‐crustaceans (e.g., Cladocera) control mosquito populations under experimental conditions. However, their relevance for mosquito control under field situations remains widely unclear because important information about habitat preferences and time of occurrence of crustaceans and mosquito larvae are still missing. In order to fill this knowledge gap, a field study was undertaken in different wetland areas of Saxony, Germany, in different habitats (i.e., grassland, forest, and reed‐covered wetlands). We found negative interactions between larvae of Ae. vexans and predatory Cyclopoida (Crustacean: Copepoda), which both were dominant during the first two weeks of hydroperiod, at ponds located at grassland habitats. Larvae of Cx. pipiens were spatially associated with competing Cladocera, but they colonized ponds more rapidly. Populations of Cladocera established from the third week of hydroperiod and prevented Cx. pipiens colonization thereafter. Ostracoda were highly abundant during the whole hydroperiod, but their presence was restricted to habitats of reed‐covered wetland at one geographical area. Mosquito larvae hardly occurred at those ponds. In general, we found that ponds at the reed‐covered wetlands provided better conditions for the initial development of crustaceans and hence, mosquito larval colonization was strongly inhibited. Grassland habitat, in contrast, favored early development of mosquito larvae. This study showed that micro‐crustaceans are relevant for mosquito management but their impact on mosquito larvae varies between species and depends on environmental conditions.     

Urban Wet Environment as Mosquito Habitat in the Upper Midwest

Sampling of Culex larval habitat plays an important role in West Nile virus surveillance and control programs. Although many cities have established mosquito sampling programs and abatement districts, there is relatively little information describing the extent and ecology of urban surface waters and stormwater systems in different geographic areas and how these parameters affect mosquito communities and control strategies. An aerial survey of the city of Madison, Wisconsin revealed 521 above-ground wet sites. These included both constructed stormwater systems (ditches, retention ponds, detention ponds) and natural wetlands (marshes, flood areas, creeks, and rivers). Repeat sampling of 351 of these sites was conducted during 2004 and 2005. The majority of sites, 58% in 2004 and 72% in 2005, yielded no mosquito larvae, suggesting that physical and biological features of these wet sites limit the development of mosquito larvae. For both years, analysis of the positive samples revealed that less than 25% of sites produced Culex spp. while a small number of ditches and detention ponds were consistent “superproducers” of Culex larvae from year to year. This information will facilitate comparisons across geographical areas and provides insight into local variation in the public health risk due to mosquito transmission of human disease agents. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Comparison of created and natural freshwater emergent wetlands in Connecticut (USA)

Five three- to four-year old created palustrine/emergent wetland sites were compared with five nearby natural wetlands of comparable size and type. Hydrologic, soil and vegetation data were compiled over a nearly two-year period (1988-90). Created sites, which were located along major highways, exhibited more open water, greater water depth, and greater fluctuation in water depth than natural wetlands. Typical wetland soils exhibiting mottling and organic accumulation were wanting in created sites as compared with natural sites. Typha latifolia (common cattail) was the characteristic emergent vegetation at created sites, whereas a more diverse mosaic of emergent wetland species was often associated with Typha at the natural sites. Species richness was slightly higher in created (22–45) vs. natural (20–39) wetlands, but the mean difference (33 vs. 30) was not significant. Nearly half (44%) of the 54 wetland taxa found at the various study sites were more frequently recorded at created than natural wetlands. The presence of mycorrhizae in roots of Typha angustifolia (narrow-leaved cattail) and Phragmites australis (common reed) was greater at created than natural wetlands, which may be related to differential nutrient availability. Wildlife use at all sites ranged from occasional to rare, with more sightings of different species in the natural (39) than created (29) wetlands. The presence of P. australis and introduced Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife) may pose a threat to future species richness at the created sites. One created site has permanent flow-through hydrology, and its vegetation and wildlife somewhat mimic a natural wetland; however, the presence of P. australis and its potential spread pose an uncertain future for this site. This study suggests the possibility of creating small palustrine/emergent wetlands having certain functions associated with natural wetlands, such as flood water storage, sediment accretion and wildlife habitat. It is premature to evaluate fully the outcome of these wetland creation efforts. A decade or more is needed, emphasizing the importance of long term monitoring and the need to establish demonstration areas.     

Designing Wetlands for Amphibians: The Importance of Predatory Fish and Shallow Littoral Zones in Structuring of Amphibian Communities

Under section 401 and section 404 of the Clean Water Act, permission to degrade existing natural wetlands in the USA may be conditional on restoring or creating ‘replacement’ wetlands. Success of wetland mitigation efforts in adequately replacing lost wildlife habitats depends on our good understanding of key ecological attributes that affect the structure of wetland faunal communities. We examined the effects of the presence of predatory fish, shallow vegetated littoral zone, emergent vegetation cover, wetland age and size on amphibian diversity in 42 replacement wetlands located in the Ohio’s North Central Tillplain ecoregion. We recorded 13 species of pond-breeding amphibians, and the average local species richness (α-richness) was 4.2 ± 1.7 species per site (range 1–7). There is strong evidence for the positive association between amphibian species richness and presence of a shallow littoral zone, and the negative association with presence of predatory fish. There was no evidence for the association between species richness and age, size, amount of forest cover within 200 m, nor the amount of emergent vegetation cover at the study sites. It is estimated that local species richness in wetlands with shallows was 1.76 species higher on average than in wetlands without shallows (95% CI from 0.75 to 2.76). The presence of predatory fish was associated with an average reduction in species richness by an estimated 1.21 species (95% CI from 0.29 to 2.11). Replacement wetlands were placed in areas with little or no existing forest cover, and amphibian species associated with forested wetlands were either rare (eastern newt, spotted salamander) or not present at all (marbled salamander, wood frog). In addition, we surveyed all replacement wetlands constructed under section 401 in Ohio since 1990, and found that predatory fish were present in 52.4% of the sites and that shallows were absent from 42.7% of the sites. Our results indicate that current wetland replacement practices could have a negative effect on the amphibian diversity within our region.     

Nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria as gene delivery system for expressing mosquitocidal toxins of Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. israelensis

Classical biological control is the most successfuland promising way to replace chemical pesticides. Thesubspecies israelensis of Bacillusthuringiensis (Bti) is a safe and efficient agent tocontrol mosquito larvae and hence mosquito-bornediseases. One approach to overcome the low efficacyand short half-life in nature of current formulationsof Bti is by expressing the toxin genes in recombinantcyanobacteria as a delivery system. Attempts toexpress Bti toxin in cyanoabcteria have been carriedout during the last ten years. Toxicities of thetransgenic strains were however very low, even underregulation of strong promoters, too low to beeffective in vivo. Two Bti Cry proteins haverecently been co-expressed in the filamentousnitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Anabaena PCC7120, resulting in clones with the highest toxicitiesand stabilities ever reached so far. However, toobtain a long-lasting preparation, it would be usefulto express Bti toxin genes in cyanobacterial strainsisolated from nature. This approach requiresdevelopment of a system for effective transformationinto such strains. Releasing such recombinant strainsto open environments is still a major obstacle inexploiting this biotechnology.     

Characterization of the genes encoding the haemolytic toxin and the mosquitocidal delta-endotoxin of Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis

Summary The crystalline parasporal inclusions (crystals) of Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti), which are specifically toxic to mosquito and black fly larvae, contain three main polypeptides of 28 kDa, 68 kDa and 130 kDa. The genes encoding the 28 kDa protein and the 130 kDa protein have been cloned from a large plasmid of Bti. Escherichiacoli recombinant clones containing the 130 kDa protein gene were highly active against larvae of Aedes aegypti and Culex pipiens, while B. subtilis recombinant cells containing the 28 kDa protein gene were haemolytic for sheep red blood cells. A fragment of the Bti plasmid which is partially homologous to the 130 kDa protein gene was also isolated; it probably corresponds to part of a second type of mosquitocidal toxin gene. Furthermore, restriction enzyme analysis suggested that the 130 kDa protein gene is located on the same Bti EcoRI fragment as another kind of Bti mosquitocidal protein gene cloned by Thorne et al. (1986). Hybridization experiments conducted with the 28 kDa protein gene and the 230 kDa protein gene showed that these two Bti genes are probably present in the plasmid DNA of B. thuringiensis subsp. morrisoni (PG14), which is also highly active against mosquito larvae.     

Mosquito control actions affect chironomid diversity in temporary wetlands of the Upper Rhine Valley

The Upper Rhine Valley, a “hotspot of biodiversity” in Germany, has been treated with the biocide Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bti) for mosquito control for decades. Previous studies discovered Bti nontarget effects in terms of severe chironomid abundance reductions. In this study, we investigated the impact of Bti on species level and addressed the community composition of the nontarget family Chironomidae by use of community metabarcoding. Chironomid emergence data were collected in three mosquito‐control relevant wetland types in the Upper Rhine Valley. For all three sites the chironomid species composition, based on operational taxonomic units (OTUs), was different to varying degrees in the Bti‐treated samples versus control samples, ranging from a significant 63% OTU reduction to an OTU replacement. We assumed that predatory chironomids are less prone to Bti than filter feeders, as the latter feed on floating particles leading to direct ingestion of Bti. However, a comparable percentage of predators and filter feeders (63% and 65%, respectively) was reduced in the Bti samples, suggesting that the feeding strategy is not the main driver for Bti sensitivity in chironomids. Finally, our data was compared to a three‐year‐old data set, indicating possible chironomid community recovery due to species recolonization a few years after the last Bti application. Considering the currently discussed worldwide insect decline we recommend a rethinking of the usage of the biocide Bti, and to prevent its ongoing application especially in nature protection reserves to enhance ecological resilience and to prevent boosting the current biodiversity loss.     

Novel observations of midge and mosquito larval population dynamics in leaves of the northern pitcher plant,Sarracenia purpurea L.

The invertebrate communities in Sarracenia purpurea were characterized by surveying the contents of 474 leaves from six pitcher plant populations in the eastern United States. More than 8200 invertebrate specimens, both living and dead, were recovered. Midge and mosquito larvae comprised 7907 (96%) of the specimens, with a mean of 16.9 dipteran larvae per leaf. Although midge larvae were present at all collection sites, mosquito larvae were absent from two of the sites. In the latter sites, the number of midge larvae per leaf was greater. This report documents for the first time that there is no statistical difference between the average number of Diptera larvae per leaf for sites that contain both midge and mosquito larvae compared to sites that contain only midge larvae. It appears that pitcher plants maintain an average number of larvae per leaf based on a number of interacting factors which we do not fully understand. This investigation documents that in the absence of mosquito larvae, more midge larvae are found per leaf per leaf than would be predicted based on data from sites that contain both larval taxa.     

Aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblages in mitigated and natural wetlands

Many wetlands have been constructed in West Virginia as mitigation for a variety of human disturbances, but no comprehensive evaluation on their success has been conducted. Macroinvertebrates are extremely valuable components of functioning wetland ecosystems. As such, benthic and water column invertebrate communities were chosen as surrogates for wetland function in the evaluation of 11 mitigation and 4 reference wetlands in West Virginia. Mitigation wetlands ranged in age from 4 to 21 years old. Overall familial richness, diversity, density and biomass were similar between mitigation and reference wetlands (p > 0.05). Within open water habitats, total benthic invertebrate density was higher in reference wetlands, but mass of common taxa from water column samples was higher in mitigation wetlands (p < 0.05) Planorbidae density from benthic samples in emergent habitats was higher in reference than mitigated wetlands. Benthic Oligochaeta density was higher across open water habitats in mitigation wetlands. All other benthic taxa were similar between wetland types. Among the most common water column orders, Isopoda density was higher in reference wetlands, but Physidae density was higher in mitigation wetlands. Within mitigation wetlands, emergent areas contained higher richness and diversity than open areas. These data indicate that mitigation and reference wetlands generally support similar invertebrate assemblages, especially among benthic populations. The few observed differences are likely attributable to differences in vegetative community composition and structure. Mitigation wetlands currently support abundant and productive invertebrate communities, and as such, provide quality habitat for wetland dependent wildlife species, especially waterbirds and anurans.     

A geospatial evaluation of Aedes vigilax larval control efforts across a coastal wetland,Northern Territory,Australia

Adjacent to the northern suburbs of Darwin is a coastal wetland that contains important larval habitats for Aedes vigilax (Skuse), the northern salt marsh mosquito. This species is a vector for Ross River virus and Barmah Forest virus, as well as an appreciable human pest. In order to improve aerial larval control efforts, we sought to identify the most important vegetation categories and climatic/seasonal aspects associated with control operations in these wetlands. By using a generalized linear model to compare aerial control for each vegetation category, we found that Schoenoplectus/mangrove areas require the greatest amount of control for tide‐only events (30.1%), and also extensive control for tide and rain events coinciding (18.2%). Our results further indicate that tide‐affected reticulate vegetation indicated by the marsh grasses Sporobolus virginicus and Xerochloa imberbis require extensive control for Ae. vigilax larvae after rain‐only events (44.7%), and tide and rain events coinciding (38.0%). The analyses of vector control efforts by month indicated that September to January, with a peak in November and December, required the most control. A companion paper identifies the vegetation categories most associated with Aedes vigilax larvae population densities in the coastal wetland. To maximize the efficiency of aerial salt marsh mosquito control operations in northern Australia, aerial control efforts should concentrate on the vegetation categories with high larval densities between September and January.     

莫莫格扁秆藨草恢复湿地土壤种子库对长芒稗入侵的响应

湿地恢复过程中,时常有外来种或本地杂草入侵。土壤种子库作为未来植被的潜在种源,对湿地恢复效果具有重要的指示意义。在莫莫格国家级自然保护区,以恢复白鹤栖息地(扁秆藨草(Scirpus planiculmis)沼泽)为目的,进行了退化湿地的水文恢复;但退化湿地恢复2a后,一年生杂草长芒稗(Echinochloa caudata)在大部分区域成为建群种。以长芒稗入侵湿地和扁秆藨草自然湿地为研究对象,对比分析了长芒稗和扁秆藨草的土壤种子库及生长结实特征。结果表明,在自然湿地扁秆藨草种子库规模是长芒稗的18.42倍,而在恢复湿地长芒稗种子库大小是扁秆藨草的5.04倍。与自然湿地相比,扁秆藨草种子库密度在入侵湿地明显减少,但仍保留了一定量具有活力的种子(664.32±105.98)粒/m~2,这与研究区扁秆藨草较高的种子生产力(9210.4±1513.4)粒/m~2及种子较强的浮力(FP50=39.7d)有关,说明扁秆藨草具备通过种子库或水传播恢复的潜力。长芒稗土壤种子库密度在入侵湿地高达(3345.9±520.3)粒/m~2,明显高于自然湿地种子库规模(P0.01),说明恢复湿地受长芒稗入侵影响严重,这与长芒稗较高的种子生产力(7621.4±376.25)粒/m~2及较弱的种子浮力(FP0=5d)有关,同时也表明长芒稗通过水传播扩散的能力较弱。另外,研究区长芒稗平均高度超过1m,且盖度较大,不仅阻碍扁秆藨草种子的水播,也降低了到达地表的光照水平,从而抑制扁秆藨草更新。因此,在莫莫格受长芒稗入侵湿地,于开花结实前收获长芒稗地上植物体及凋落物应是限制长芒稗扩展、同时促进扁秆藨草恢复的有效措施。     

Crustacean biodiversity as an important factor for mosquito larval control

Newly established ponds, which are highly dynamic systems with changing levels of biological interactions among species, are common larval mosquito habitats. We investigated the impact of crustacean abundance and taxa diversity on mosquito oviposition and larval development. The effects of the biological larvicide Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) on mosquito larvae were monitored according to fluctuations in crustacean communities. Populations of the mosquito Culex pipiens colonized artificial ponds that contained crustacean communities at different time points of colonization by crustaceans: 1) ‘no colonization’ (no crustaceans), 2) ‘simultaneous colonization’ by crustaceans and mosquitoes, and 3) ‘head‐start colonization’ by crustaceans (preceding colonization by mosquitoes). All types of ponds were treated with three concentrations of Bti (10, 100, or 1,000 µg/liter). Colonization of all ponds by Cx. pipiens (in terms of oviposition, larval abundance, and larval development) decreased significantly with increasing diversity of crustacean taxa. The total abundance of crustaceans had a minor effect on colonization by Cx. pipiens. The presence of crustaceans increased the sensitivity of Cx. pipiens larvae to Bti treatment by a factor of 10 and delayed the time of recolonization. This effect of Bti was relevant in the short term. In the long term, the presence of Cx. pipiens was determined by crustacean biodiversity.     

Effect of proteolytic and detoxification enzyme inhibitors on Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis tolerance in the mosquito Aedes aegypti

Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bti) is highly pathogenic to mosquito larvae and is widely used for mosquito control. Its mosquitocidal activity however is relatively low compared to many chemical insecticides. The detoxification mechanisms in the mosquito, among other things, might neutralize the Bti activity, resulting in resistance or tolerance. We tested whether or not the detoxification mechanisms against chemical insecticides might also operate against Bti, rendering it less effective. We targeted four enzymes in Aedes aegypti larvae involved in detoxification with inhibitors that have been used in resistance studies in chemical insecticides and assayed their effects on Bti toxicity. Results revealed that phenylmethanesulphonyl fluoride (PMSF), diethyl maleate, phenobarbital (PB), and piperonyl butoxide (PBO) altered Bti toxicity to various degrees. PMSF is a serine protease inhibitor that prevents Bti digestion and improves Bti activity. PB that induces several detoxifying enzymes had two different effects depending on the method of treatment. Mortality was higher when treatment with PB was discontinuous (149%) whereas with continuous treatment it was lower (101%). PBO, a typical cytochrome P450 inhibitor, increased Bti effect (159%). The combination of discontinuous pretreatment of larvae with PB followed by PBO had a synergistic effect and showed increased activity (146%). It appears that the mechanism for Bti resistance in mosquitoes is similar to that of chemical insecticides. Our studies indicate that we may be able to increase Bti activity by inhibiting some of the detoxification systems as active as broad spectrum chemical insecticides.     

Revegetation of prairie pothole wetlands in the mid-continental US: twelve years post-reflooding

In the mid-1980's, thousands of wetlands in the mid-continental Unites States were restored by interrupting drainage lines; revegetation of these systems, often cropped for decades and positioned in a predominantly agricultural landscape, relied solely on natural recolonization. A study of 64 of these wetlands determined that by 1991, three years after initial reflooding, aquatic species had efficiently recolonized whereas sedge meadow and wet prairie species had not. In 2000, 41 of these restorations that had not been significantly altered or returned to cultivation were revisited and their floras characterized by cover within distinct zones. While species richness increased on every site, the rate of accumulation varied widely. Furthermore, species that had colonized since 1991, including a variety of native wet prairie and sedge meadow species, were detected only at very low abundance. In contrast, Phalaris arundinacea L., an invasive perennial, was now present on every site, often at covers approaching 75–100% in the zones in which it occurred. Other invasive perennials, including Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. and Typha angustifolia L./glauca Godr., had expanded significantly on many sites. The overall dominance of invasive perennials has resulted in basins that are becoming more similar over time. However, present variations in species richness and composition can be attributed to flooding frequency, and, potentially, basin size and isolation from nearby natural wetlands, as shown by TWINSPAN and graphical analysis. Basins that have not been flooded at midsummer for at least seven of 12 years are among the most depauperate in the study. Yet even frequently flooded basins lack diversity if they are small (< 1.5 ha) or isolated from seed sources. Across the study, numerous species common to natural systems were notably absent or infrequently occurring, including Calamagrostis canadensis (Michx.) Beauv., Carex lacustris Willd. and Lysimachia thrysiflora L. Continuous areas of sedge-dominated meadow, a signature of prairie potholes, did not exist at any study site, nor did they appear to be forming. Given the dominance of invasive perennials and absence of many native wetland species, it appears that without significant seeding, planting and aftercare wetland restorations in fragmented landscapes have a low probability of resembling those that existed historically. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The association between the phytoplankton, Rhopalosolen species (Chlorophyta; Chlorophyceae), and Anopheles gambiae sensu lato (Diptera: Culicidae) larval abundance in western Kenya

Algae are important food resources of the larvae of the African malaria vectors, Anopheles gambiae Giles and Anopheles arabiensis Patton (Anopheles gambiae sensu lato), and other zooplankton, but empirical evidence remains meager about the agal flora in ephemeral water bodies. The animals present in natural aquatic habitats in western Kenya were sampled from July to November 2002 to study abiotic and biotic environmental factors determining A. gambiae sl larval abundance. The five highest concentrations of third and fourth instars and pupae (hereafter referred to as old-stage larvae) were sampled in conjunction with the unicellular epizoic green algae, Rhopalosolen species (Chlorophyta; Chlorophyceae). Canonical correspondence analysis revealed that the presence of Rhopalosolen species was the most important determinant of the animal assemblage. The density of old-stage A. gambiae sl larvae was positively correlated with the presence of Rhopalosolen species, but the density of first and second instars of A. gambiae sl was not. The water bodies with Rhopalosolen sp. yielded larger mosquitoes in spite of the higher density of larvae. We demonstrated that the productivity of water bodies in terms of the larvae of malaria vectors can differ in magnitude depending on the agal flora. We discuss phytoplankton as a regulator of mosquito larval populations.     

Diving beetle assemblages of flooded wetlands in relation to time,wetland type and Bti-based mosquito control

We investigated the abundance and taxonomic composition of the aquatic predatory insect fauna, with focus on adult diving beetles (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae), in eight temporary flooded wet meadows and two alder swamps in the River Dalälven floodplains, central Sweden from 2002 to 2006. Diving beetles are generalist predators and often abundant in various waters, including temporary wetlands. In the River Dalälven floodplains, recurrent floods induce massive hatching of flood-water mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae), which constitute a superabundant patchy and irregular food resource for aquatic predatory insects. Our aims were (1) to characterize the assemblage of adult diving beetles occurring in the wetlands during floods in relation to time and wetland type and (2) to evaluate the effect on the aquatic predator assemblage of strongly reducing the abundance of a potential prey, flood-water mosquito larvae with Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bti) during floods. We found diving beetles to be the dominating aquatic predatory insect taxa in all 10 wetlands. There was a difference in Dytiscidae species richness but not in diversity between wet meadows and alder swamps after rarefaction. The cluster analysis based on dytiscid species and abundances showed very high similarities between the wetlands. The variance component analysis was unable to distinguish any factor that could explain more than 7.4% of the variation in the dytiscid species assemblages. The only effect of Bti-treatment against flood-water mosquito larvae, potential food for the predatory dytiscids, was a slight increase in abundance of the medium-sized dytiscid species. Our results are in accordance with previous studies, suggesting that irregular and recurrent flood dynamic structure the dytiscid fauna more than food limitations and environmental factors.     

Wetlands and mosquitoes: a review

This review brings together information on mosquitoes, the diseases they transmit and the wetlands that provide habitats for the immature stages (eggs and larvae). Wetland values are mentioned, though the main literature on this does not generally overlap the mosquito issue. Mosquito management is overviewed to include: the use of larvicides, source reduction in intertidal wetlands and management in freshwater systems. There is not a great deal of information on mosquitoes and freshwater systems, except for constructed wetlands and they are considered separately. We then consider restoration mainly in the context of wetlands that have been the subject of habitat modification for mosquito control. Land use and climate change, as they affect mosquitoes and the diseases they transmit, are also reviewed, as this will affect wetlands via management activities. Finally the review addresses the critical issue of balancing health, both human and environmental, in an adaptive framework. It concludes that there is a need to ensure that both mosquito and wetland management communicate and integrate to sustain wetland and human health.     

Comparative evaluation of the larvivorous fish Gambusia affinis and Aphanius dispar as mosquito control agents

Under laboratory conditions Aphanius was more successful than Gambusia in preying upon the 3rd, 4th and pupal stages of mosquitoes. The reverse was found for the first two instars. However. Aphanius consumed more 2nd instar larvae under the cover of vegetation when larger fish were able to penetrate shallow water and feed on the mosquito larvae.The two species showed a similar prey-size selection except for Aphanius of the medium size (31–35 mm) which ate larger larvae than Gambusia of the same size range.When provided access to the surface, neither fish species showed any adverse effect at oxygen levels as low as 0.5 mg l^-1 (6% saturation). When denied access to the surface, both species behaved normally at oxygen levels as low as 1.3 mg l^-1 (15% saturation).This study suggests that Gambusia affinis and Aphanius dispar can complement each other as mosquito control agents in different habitat conditions. We suggest that in mosquito infested situation which are characterized by high organic matter and low oxygen levels biological control could best be achieved by introduction of a range of sizes of both fish species. Repeated introductions of the fish, in large enough numbers, may be required for ad-hoc alleviation of a mosquito problem. Best results are thus to be expected in relatively small water bodies such as oxidation ponds.     

Relationships between predatory aquatic insects and mosquito larvae in residential areas in northern Thailand

In order to elucidate the poorly understood relationships between mosquito larvae and their predatory aquatic insects in urban and suburban areas of tropical Southeast Asia, where vector‐borne diseases are prevalent, aquatic insects were sampled from 14 aquatic habitats in residential areas of Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, during the rainy season (July to November) in 2016. Correlations among biological variables, densities of major predatory aquatic insect groups (i.e., Odonata, Coleoptera, and Hemiptera: OCH group) in wetlands and artificial lentic habitats, and the density of mosquito larvae were analyzed. Among the sampled mosquito larvae, Culex spp. were the most abundant, and both OCH density and water quality were major determinants of Culex spp. density (r_s = ?0.302 and ?0.396, respectively). Logistic regression analyses indicated that the probability of Culex spp. occurrence was significantly and negatively correlated with OCH density. Furthermore, high macrophyte abundance was associated with higher predator density, potentially reducing mosquito density. Hemipteran predators were most negatively correlated with Culex spp. density, regardless of whether macrophyte abundance was high or low (r_s = ?0.547 and ?0.533, respectively). Therefore, hemipteran predators were the most important aquatic insect predators in the urban and suburban residential areas of Chiang Mai, Thailand, and OCH species, such as the hemipteran Micronecta scutellaris, could be used as biological control agents against mosquitoes in the region.