Effect of the Guppy, Poecilia reticulata, on Oviposition of Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae)

Abstract

Many mosquito species avoid oviposition sites infested with predators of their progeny. We investigated whether the guppy Poecilia reticulata Peters affected the oviposition site selection of natural blood-fed gravid Culex qinque- fasciatus Say females in both the laboratory and field. In the laboratory, there was no significant difference between the average numbers of egg rafts laid by Cx. qinquefasciatus females on water with fish and without fish. In the field, there was no significant difference between the average numbers per night of gravid Cx. qinquefasciatus females collected from gravid traps with fish and without fish. Our investigation shows that natural blood-fed gravid Cx. quinquefasciatus does not avoid oviposition sites with P. reticulata. The phenomenon of absence or very low number of mosquito larvae in some water habitats in the presence of P. reticulata is discussed.