Minakawa Noboru, Futami Kyoko, Sonye George, Akweywa Peter, Kaneko Satoshi
Nairobi Research Station, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, NUITM-KEMRI, Nairobi, Kenya.
Malar J. 2007 Aug 6;6:104. doi: 10.1186/1475-2875-6-104.
Since Ochthera chalybescens had been reported to prey on African malaria vectors, the predatory capacity of adults of this species on Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto was explored.
Predatory capacity of this fly on A. gambiae s.s. was tested at all developmental stages, including the adult stage in the laboratory setting. Effects of water depth on its predatory capacity were also examined.
This study revealed that O. chalybescens preyed on mosquitoes at all life stages except eggs. It was able to prey on an average of 9.8 to 18.8 mosquito larvae in 24 hrs. Mosquito larva size and water depth did not affect predatory capacity. However, the predacious fly preyed on significantly more 2nd-instar larvae than on pupae when larvae and pupae were both available.
Ochthera chalybescens is, by all indications, an important predator of African malaria vectors.
由于有报道称铜色赭蝇会捕食非洲疟疾媒介，因此对该物种成虫对冈比亚按蚊指名亚种的捕食能力进行了探究。
在实验室环境中，测试了这种蝇在包括成虫阶段在内的所有发育阶段对冈比亚按蚊指名亚种的捕食能力。还研究了水深对其捕食能力的影响。
本研究表明，铜色赭蝇除了卵之外，在蚊子的所有生命阶段都会捕食。它在24小时内平均能够捕食9.8至18.8只蚊虫幼虫。蚊虫幼虫大小和水深不影响捕食能力。然而，当幼虫和蛹都存在时，这种捕食性蝇捕食二龄幼虫的数量明显多于蛹。
种种迹象表明，铜色赭蝇是非洲疟疾媒介的重要捕食者。
