| Mesocyclops | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Mesocyclops ogunnus | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Copepoda |
| Order: | Cyclopoida |
| Family: | Cyclopidae |
| Genus: | Mesocyclops G. O. Sars, 1914 |
| Type species | |
| Mesocyclops leuckarti (Claus, 1857) [1] | |
Mesocyclops is a genus of copepod crustaceans in the family Cyclopidae. Because the various species of Mesocyclops are known to prey on mosquito larvae, it is used as a nontoxic and inexpensive form of biological mosquito control.
Individuals of Mesocyclops can be easily harvested, bred and released into freshwater containers where the Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae (the vector of Dengue fever) live. [2] A big advantage of the Mesocyclops is that it is possible to teach schoolchildren how to recognize and collect them so that communities are able to perform sustainable mosquito control without much professional or governmental assistance.
A field trial in Vietnam has shown that large-scale elimination of Aedes aegypti larvae is possible. Because Mesocyclops is a host for the parasitic round worm Guinea worm (Dracunculus medinensis, the causative agent of dracunculiasis), this method is potentially hazardous in the small number of countries where the Guinea worm still occurs. Furthermore, many cultures have traditions and customs that forbid the introduction of animals into freshwater storage vessels as dangerous taboos. [3] [4] [5]
The genus Mesocyclops contains 92 species and 2 species nomen dubium: [6]
Mosquito control manages the population of mosquitoes to reduce their damage to human health, economies, and enjoyment. Mosquito control is a vital public-health practice throughout the world and especially in the tropics because mosquitoes spread many diseases, such as malaria and the Zika virus.
Cyclops is one of the most common genera of freshwater copepods, comprising over 400 species. Together with other similar-sized non-copepod fresh-water crustaceans, especially cladocera, they are commonly called water fleas. The name Cyclops comes from the Cyclops of Greek mythology, as they have a single large eye; in Cyclops, the eye may be either red or black.
Acanthocyclops is a genus of copepod crustaceans in the family Cyclopidae. It was originally described by Friedrich Kiefer as a subgenus of Cyclops, and contains the following species:
Attheyella is a genus of copepods in the family Canthocamptidae, containing the following species:
Elaphoidella is a genus of freshwater copepods in the family Canthocamptidae. It contains over 200 species, including three classified as vulnerable species by the IUCN – three endemic to Slovenia and one endemic to the United States. In total, the genus Elaphoidella contains the following species:
Metacyclops is a genus of copepod crustaceans in the family Cyclopidae, containing 61 species, of which three are listed on the IUCN Red List – M. campestris from Brazil, M. gasparoi from Italy (vulnerable) and M. postojnae from Slovenia (vulnerable).
Notodiaptomus is a genus of copepods in the family Diaptomidae. It is the most widely distributed, most abundant and most species-rich genus of freshwater calanoid copepods in the Neotropics. The genus was erected in 1936 by Friedrich Kiefer for eleven species formerly placed in a wider Diaptomus. Notodiaptomus deitersi was chosen to be the type species by Raúl Adolfo Ringuelet in 1958.
Thermocyclops is a genus of crustacean in family Cyclopidae. It was first described and later extensively researched by Friedrich Kiefer, who discovered some 20 species. The species and subspecies of the genus inhabit fresh and brackish waters alike all around the world, although most are from tropical areas.
Tropocyclops is a genus of copepod crustaceans in the family Cyclopidae. It contains the following species:
Tropodiaptomus is a genus of copepods in the family Diaptomidae. It includes the following species, many of which are narrow endemics and are included on the IUCN Red List :
Diaptomidae is a family of freshwater pelagic copepods. It includes around 50 genera:
Cyclopidae is a family of copepods containing more than half of the 1,200 species in the order Cyclopoida in over 70 genera.
Mayaro virus disease is a mosquito-borne zoonotic pathogen endemic to certain humid forests of tropical South America. Infection with Mayaro virus causes an acute, self-limited dengue-like illness of 3–5 days' duration. The causative virus, abbreviated MAYV, is in the family Togaviridae, and genus Alphavirus. It is closely related to other alphaviruses that produce a dengue-like illness accompanied by long-lasting arthralgia. It is only known to circulate in tropical South America.
Halicyclops is a genus of copepods belonging to the family Cyclopidae. There are currently 94 described species found in brackish habitats throughout the world:
An epidemic of Zika fever, caused by Zika virus, began in Brazil and affected other countries in the Americas from April 2015 to November 2016. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the end of the epidemic in November 2016, but noted that the virus still represents "a highly significant and long term problem". It is estimated that 1.5 million people were infected by Zika virus in Brazil, with over 3,500 cases of infant microcephaly reported between October 2015 and January 2016. The epidemic also affected other parts of South and North America, as well as several islands in the Pacific.
Microcyclops is a genus of copepods, containing the following species:
Chydoridae is a family of water fleas in the order Anomopoda. There are more than 50 genera and 520 described species in Chydoridae. A lot of Chydoridae species are non-native species, many of which pose a great threat to aquatic ecosystems.
Aedes taeniorhynchus, or the black salt marsh mosquito, is a mosquito in the family Culicidae. It is a carrier for encephalitic viruses including Venezuelan equine encephalitis and can transmit Dirofilaria immitis. It resides in the Americas and is known to bite mammals, reptiles, and birds. Like other mosquitoes, Ae. taeniorhynchus adults survive on a combination diet of blood and sugar, with females generally requiring a blood meal before laying eggs.