Larvae of Culex eduardoi, Culex bigoti, Limatus durhamii and Toxorhynchites were collected in a tyre that had been placed in a wood by a river bank. These larvae were present coexisting and in an individualized form. It was observed that Toxorhynchites, Culex bigoti and Limatus durhamii were efficient in reducing the other two species's population. Culex bigoti and Toxorhynchites showed preference for Culex quinquefasciatus larvae, while Limatus durhamii preferred Culex eduardoi. The most efficient predator was Toxorhynchites, and the least efficient was Limatus durhamii. The reduction of the preys' population density was statistically meaningful in the face of the three species considered as predators.
Culicidae; biological contral; predators; larvae; artificial breeding sites