author(s)
Dr. Devinder Kaur Kocher, Dr. Shreya Jamwal, Dr. Dapinder Kaur Bakshi and Dr. Ashwani Kumar

abstract
Large sized cyclopoid copepods (having body size > 1.0 mm) act as predators of mosquito larvae which strongly influence the mosquito larval population. In the present study large sized native cyclopoid, Mesocylops aspericornis collected from local fish ponds of Ludhiana district of Punjab (India) was tested for its predatory potential against different types of mosquito larvae. Under laboratory conditions, M. aspericornis showed mosquito specific predatory behavior, as the predatory potential (number of larvae killed/cyclopoid/24hours) against 1^st instar larvae of Aedes was observed to be maximum (24.27±3.95) followed by that of Culex (18.13±3.85) and least in case of Anopheles (0.13±0.09). This cyclopoid copepod species was also able to kill 2^nd instar larvae of Aedes (14.19±6.25 larvae/cyclopoid/24hours) which was though less in comparison to its 1^st instars. However, no predation of 2^nd instar larvae of Culex and Anopheles and 3^rd instar larvae of any of the three types of mosquito larvae was observed by this cyclopoid. Non-significant difference in predation of Aedes 1^st instar larvae by M. aspericornis was observed during the trials conducted under simulated conditions performed in plastic cups, earthen pots and rubber tyres.