Life cycle of water bug, Diplonychus rusticus F. (Hemiptera: Belostomatidae) on aedes aegypti l. (Diptera: Culicidae) as prey

Issue Date

10-2013

Abstract

The life cycle of predatory water bug, Diplonychus rusticus (Hemiptera: Belostomidae), was studied in the laboratory using larvae of Aedes aegypti L. (Diptera: Culicidae) as prey. The predator underwent five nymphal instars which last for an average of 37.88 ± 0.84 days. Mean duration of first, second, third, fourth, and fifth nymphal instars were 4.62 ± 0.16, 4.22 ± 0.15, 5.24 ± 0.24, 8.04 ± 0.51 and 15.76 ± 0.60 days, respectively. From first to fifth nymphal instar the predator consumed about 1500 third instar mosquito larvae. Reproducing females consumed an average of 900 fourth instar mosquito larvae in six days. Within the 200 days observation period, adults were still alive and females had laid 10 egg cluster with an average of 76 eggs per cluster with incubation period of 6.45 ± 0.14 days and 97.30% hatchability. With the long life span, high reproductive capacity and voraciousness exhibited by the water bug in the laboratory, it could be a promising biological control agent against dengue mosquito vector.

Source or Periodical Title

The Philippine Entomologist

ISSN

0048-3753

Volume

27

Issue

2

Page

207

Document Type

Article

Frequency

semi-annually

Language

English

En – AGROVOC descriptors

HEMIPTERA; AEDES AEGYPTI; CULICIDAE; INSTARS; NYMPHS; PREDATION; BIOLOGICAL CONTROL AGENTS; LIFE CYCLE

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