Biodiversity and ecosystem risks arising from using guppies to control mosquitoes

Deploying mosquito predators such as the guppy (Poecilia reticulata) into bodies of water where mosquitoes breed is a common strategy for limiting the spread of disease-carrying mosquitoes. Here, we draw on studies from epidemiology, conservation, ecology and evolution to show that the evidence for...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biology letters (2005) 2016-10, Vol.12 (10), p.20160590
Main Authors: El-Sabaawi, Rana W., Frauendorf, Therese C., Marques, Piata S., Mackenzie, Richard A., Manna, Luisa R., Mazzoni, Rosana, Phillip, Dawn A. T., Warbanski, Misha L., Zandonà, Eugenia
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Biodiversity
Conservation Biology
Dengue
Ecosystem
Ecosystem Service
Introduced Species
Invasion
Malaria
Mosquito Control - methods
Opinion Piece
Poecilia
Zika
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Summary:Deploying mosquito predators such as the guppy (Poecilia reticulata) into bodies of water where mosquitoes breed is a common strategy for limiting the spread of disease-carrying mosquitoes. Here, we draw on studies from epidemiology, conservation, ecology and evolution to show that the evidence for the effectiveness of guppies in controlling mosquitoes is weak, that the chances of accidental guppy introduction into local ecosystems are large, and that guppies can easily establish populations and damage these aquatic ecosystems. We highlight several knowledge and implementation gaps, and urge that this approach is either abandoned in favour of more effective strategies or that it is used much more rigorously. Controlling mosquitoes does not need to come at the expense of freshwater biodiversity.
ISSN:1744-9561
1744-957X
DOI:10.1098/rsbl.2016.0590