Evaluation of Australian Mesocyclops (Cyclopoida: Cyclopidae) for mosquito control.

Six of seven species of Mesocyclops copepods, collected from northeastern Australia, showed potential as biological control agents of Aedes mosquitoes. Methods of laboratory evaluation included predation trials at different larval mosquito densities, population growth rates at different temperatures, and laboratory cage simulations. The predation efficacy of Mesocyclops aspericornis, M. australiensis, and M. mb1 from southern Queensland, and M. darwini, M. mb2, M. notius and M. mb3 from northern Queensland were compared with M. aspericornis (used successfully in French Polynesia) against laboratory populations of Aedes aegypti (L.), Culex quinquefasciatus Say, and Anopheles farauti Laveran (No. 1). M. aspericornis (L. Kurwongbah) proved to be the most effective Queensland predator and exhibited an elevated reproductive rate at 20-25 degrees C. M. darwini was less efficient as a predator but was more fecund at 25-35 degrees C. Based on these evaluations, M. aspericornis (L. Kurwongbah) has been selected for small-scale field trials in Queensland.