Allelochemics produced by the hydrophyteMyriophyllum spicatum affecting mosquitoes and midges

Abstract

An extract of the hydrophyteMyriophyllum spicatum L. was found to be toxic to first- and fourth-instar larvae of the mosquitoes,Culex quinquefasciatus Say,Culex tarsalis Coquillett,Culiseta incidens (Thomson),Aedes aegypti L., and chironomid midges in the laboratory. When first-stage larvae were exposed to the extract, the lowest concentration (6.4 mg extract/100 ml H₂O) produced 86,60, and 48% mortality inC. incidens, C. quinquefasciatus, andA. aegypti, respectively. Higher concentrations caused 100% mortality in both first and fourth instars (63.75 mg/100 ml H₂O or more). In general, the biocidal activity of the extract was found to be similar when first- and fourth-stage larvae were exposed. Some mortality in the successive pupal and adult stages was observed when fourth-stage larvae were exposed to the extract, but mortality occurred only in the various larval instars when first instars were exposed. Among the chironomids,Tanytarsus spp. was more tolerant to the extract thanChironomus spp. In addition to the biocidal activity against immature mosquitoes, the extract was found to show a unique activity acting as an attractant to both sexes of adultC. quinquefasciatus andA. aegypti. The response elicited inA. aegypti appeared to be somewhat higher than that inC. quinquefasciatus. In general, the percentage of males responding to water treated with the extract was higher than that of the females. The extract at higher concentrations seemed to show some repellency at the outset to both species, but induced positive responses later on.