Evaluación de Palaemonetes argentinus (Decapoda, Natantia) en el control biológico de larvas de Culex pipiens (Diptera, Culicidae) en condiciones de laboratorio.

GIRI F.; COLLINS P.

IHERINGIA. SéRIE ZOOLOGIA

Lugar: Porto Alegre; Año: 2003 vol. 93 p. 237 - 242

0073-4721

The predator-prey relationship of Palaemonetes argentinus Nobili 1901 and Culex pipiens s.l. larvae was studied under laboratory conditions. The prawns were separated in two groups, isolated and grouped ones. Mosquitoe larvae were offered to prawns in two forms, limited and unlimited offfer to both groups. In the first analysis, values of predation did not differ significantly between males and females of P. argentinus. Predation in 24 h was 14.9 +/- 4.2 larvae/prawn. A reduction was observed witn unlimited offer was higher on the first day than on the second, but returned to high values on the third day, for both groups. In the grouped experiment, predation with limited offer was total on the first days, decreasing to the last day. As a result, P. argentinus was considered an efficient predator of C. pipiens s.l. larvae under laboratory conditions.