DOI: 10.36347/sajb.2014.v02i09.016

Pages: 640-642

Copepods are tiny crustaceans (zooplankton) inhabiting the water bodies having rich mosquito breeding grounds and are known to act as voracious predators of first instar mosquito larvae. During the present study a survey at three districts of Punjab state (India) was carried out from various standing water bodies (n=45) to explore the occurrence of copepods coexisting with mosquito larvae. Results obtained showed the existence of copepods along with mosquito larvae in fish ponds, paddy fields and also in other small temporary water bodies. Copepod count was found to be highest in fish ponds (803.99±47.28/litre), however no copepods were observed in the water samples of village ponds. Three orders of copepods i.e. calanoida, cyclopoida and harpacticoida were observed with predominance of cyclopoids (56%). Mosquito larval population/litre was found to range from 18.84±5.66 to 182.73±21.63 from various water bodies.