Oviposition of Culex tarsalis (Diptera: Culicidae) Differs on Water Conditioned by Potential Fish and Insect Predators

Abstract The response of egg-laying Culex tarsalis Coquillett (Diptera: Culicidae) to water conditioned by three fish species used for mosquito control and three predatory aquatic insect species was examined in laboratory binary choice experiments. Oviposition by Cx. tarsalis was 72% less on water conditioned with the arroyo chub, Gila orcutti (Eigenmann & Eigenmann) (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) relative to control cups containing aged tap water, but no significant difference was found in the numbers of egg rafts laid on water conditioned with the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas (Rafinesque), Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) and the control treatment (water aged 24 h). Mosquito oviposition on water conditioned with the predominantly herbivorous/algivorous California Mozambique tilapia hybrid (Oreochromis mossambicus (Peters) × Oreochromis urolepis hornorum L. (Perciformes: Cichlidae)) or predatory insects (nymphs: Sympetrum corruptum (Hagen) (Odonata: Libellulidae); adults: Thermonectus basillaris (Harris) or Cybister fimbriolatus (Say) (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae)) did not differ significantly relative to that onto water aged for 24 h. As compared with water aged 24 h and water conditioned with diving beetles, oviposition by Cx. tarsalis was significantly lower (≥53%) when live predatory diving beetles were present in oviposition cups. Gravid Cx. tarsalis females do not respond equally to putative semiochemicals in water conditioned with the piscine or aquatic insect predators of immature mosquitoes tested here.