Effect of Rice Plant Covering on the Density of Mosquito Larvae and Other Insects in Rice Fields

Abstract

The larval densities of Culex tritaeniorhynchus, Anopheles sinensis and other insects were compared in fields with and without rice plants, and in fields with short and tall rice plants. The density of C. tritaeniorhynchus was higher in unplanted and short rice planted sections of the rice fields. In the case of A. sinensis, a higher larval density was observed only in unplanted sections. Among the 7 families comprising 11 to 13 species of other insects, 5 species were more abundant in unplanted sections. The difference in larval densities among sections in rice fields was possibly due to oviposition preferences of females.