The life history and mosquito consumption dynamics of Notonecta indica (Hemiptera: Notonectidae) in eastern Jamaica.

ABSTRACT: Certain mosquito species pose a significant threat to human health, causing thousands of deaths annually via diseases such as yellow fever, dengue fever, and chikungunya. A variety of insects, including dragonflies and backswimmers, prey on mosquito larvae, providing natural population suppression, but knowledge of the life history and quantification of the mosquito suppression dynamics of these insects remain limited in the Caribbean. In the present study, we documented aspects of the life history of the backswimmer Notonecta indica L. in Jamaica and quantified its consumption of Aedes aegypti (L.) larvae throughout development and at different mosquito densities. The egg and fifth nymphal stages had the longest mean development times while the third nymphal stage had the shortest. Develo

SUBMITTER: Campbell GR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11815496 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature