Evaluation ofLagenidium giganteumfor Biocontrol ofMansoniaMosquitoes in Florida (Diptera: Culicidae)

Inoculative releases ofLagenidium giganteum(California isolate) were made against a population ofMansonia dyariduring a typical breeding season at one site in eastern Hillsborough County, Florida. Zoospores ofL. giganteumwere introduced into outdoor caged replicated test pools containing waterlettuce,Pistia stratiotes,and larvae ofM. dyaricollected from an inactive phosphate pit. First and second instar larvae were added twice a week between August and December, 1993, to simulate natural oviposition byM. dyari.Adult emergence was reduced by >77% in test pools treated withL. giganteum.Sentinel larvae provided evidence of recycling of the fungus approximately 14 days posttreatment. Continuous larval mortality ofM. dyariwas observed for a period of 46 days. Our data showed that water quality in the test pools and phosphate pit was suitable for fungal growth and zoosporogenesis as long as the water temperature did not exceed 38°C.