OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of fish as predators of the Aedes aegypti larvae in laboratory conditions. METHODS: The male and female of five different fish were included in the experiment. The tests to measure their consumption ability lasted five weeks for each species. Each trial involved four test tanks and four control tanks. Two control tanks contained just one fish, and the other two just larvae. Each of the test tanks contained one fish and the larvae. During the […]

OBJECTIVE: To analyze specimens dispersion in a population of Tarebia granifera and its relationship with the change of morphometric parameters. METHODS: Two samplings by parcels including two types of substrata in opposite aggregation conditions were carried out, and the specimen abundance was compared between both samplings and substrata. The samples were stratified into classes according to shell height and for each of these the coefficient weight/foot-area was calculated and correlated with class size. It was experimentally evaluated whether specimens with […]

The importance of the entomopathogenic bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis in the control of Aedes aegypti is presented. The use and potential of B. thuringiensis israelensis against the mosquito vector of dengue fever is described. Other aspects such as insect’s resistance development against chemicals and advantages and constraints of using microbial control are discussed. Emphasis is given to the importance of the use of this bacterium in Brazil, which could contribute significantly to solving the mosquito problem without affecting the environment, […]

INTRODUCTION: Cyclopid copepods are known to be good mosquito controllers, specially as regards the larvae of the dengue vectors Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The objective of the study was to survey the local copepod fauna and search for new strains of M. longisetus var. longisetus, comparing the potential of the samples found with the current strain ML-01 against Ae. albopictus larvae, under laboratory conditions. Eleven bodies of water in Campinas, SP, Brazil, were screened for copepods […]