| Literature DB >> 32317006 |
Jannelle Couret1, Marco Notarangelo2, Sarashwathy Veera2, Noah LeClaire-Conway2, Howard S Ginsberg3, Roger L LeBrun4.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Biological controls with predators of larval mosquito vectors have historically focused almost exclusively on insectivorous animals, with few studies examining predatory plants as potential larvacidal agents. In this study, we experimentally evaluate a generalist plant predator of North America, Utricularia macrorhiza, the common bladderwort, and evaluate its larvacidal efficiency for the mosquito vectors Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus in no-choice, laboratory experiments. We sought to determine first, whether U. macrorhiza is a competent predator of container-breeding mosquitoes, and secondly, its predation efficiency for early and late instar larvae of each mosquito species.Entities:
Keywords: Aedes; Biological control; Bladderworts; Mosquitoes; Utricularia
Year: 2020 PMID: 32317006 PMCID: PMC7175535 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04084-4
Source DB: PubMed Journal: Parasit Vectors ISSN: 1756-3305 Impact factor: 3.876
Fig. 1Utricularia macrorhiza is pictured maintained indoors in small containers in a close up view of a single bladder with trap chamber and trigger appendages labeled (a), expanded view of the plant cutting (b) and with Utricularia macrorhiza close up with bladders on stems digesting Aedes aegypti larvae indicated with red asterisks (c)
Fig. 2Presence and absence of Utricularia spp. at collection sites in Washington County, Rhode Island
Fig. 3Survival probability over time (in days) of Ae. albopictus (a) and Ae. aegypti (b) in the presence and absence of U. macrorhiza stored without prey for six months. Dotted lines represent water-only controls. Solid lines represent experimental cups with U. macrorhiza. Black indicates plants were stored for 1 month without prey and green indicates plants were stored for 6 months without prey. For both figures, data are censored as of the day when the last death from predation by U. macrorhiza was observed
Permutation analysis of Ae. aegypti survival times with treatment (presence or absence of plant predator, U. macrorhiza) and trial (1 or 6 months of storage time without prey for plant predator prior to experiment)
| Source | Sum Sq | Mean Sq | Iterations | Significance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trial | 1 | 1.620 | 1.620 | 5000 | *** |
| Treatment | 1 | 63.184 | 63.184 | 5000 | *** |
| Residuals | 356 | 23.04 | 0.065 |
***P < 0.001
Fig. 4Survival probability over time (in days) of Ae. albopictus (a) or Ae. aegypti (b) with small cuttings of U. macrorhiza with two bladders placed in 10 ml of dH20. Pre-fed signifies that bladders were provided one larva of the respective species just prior to the start of the experiment. Image of the experimental set up with the U. macrorhiza cutting having consumed 3 larvae consecutively (heads visible as black dots inside bladder) (c)