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.
Biological 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. 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.
Species The genus Mesocyclops contains 92 species and 2 species nomen dubium:
Mesocyclops acanthoramus Holynska & Brown, 2003 Mesocyclops aequatorialis Kiefer, 1929 Mesocyclops affinis van de Velde, 1987 Mesocyclops albicans (G. W. Smith, 1909) Mesocyclops americanus Dussart, 1985 Mesocyclops annae Kiefer, 1930 Mesocyclops annulatus (Wierzejski, 1892) Mesocyclops araucanus Löffler, 1962 Mesocyclops arcanus Defaye, 1995 Mesocyclops asiaticus Kiefer, 1932 Mesocyclops aspericornis (Daday, 1906) Mesocyclops australiensis (G. O. Sars, 1908) Mesocyclops augusti Papa & Holynska, 2013 Mesocyclops bernardi Petkovski, 1986 Mesocyclops bodanicola Kiefer, 1955 Mesocyclops borneoensis Dussart & Fernando, 1988 Mesocyclops bosumtwii Mirabdullayev, Sanful & Frempong, 2007 Mesocyclops brasilianus Kiefer, 1933 Mesocyclops brevisetosus Dussart & Sarnita, 1987 Mesocyclops brooksi Pesce, De Laurentiis & Humphreys, 1996 Mesocyclops chaci Fiers (in Fiers, Reid, Iliffe & Suárez-Morales), 1996 Mesocyclops cuttacuttae Dumont & Maas, 1985 Mesocyclops dadayi Holynska, 1997 Mesocyclops darwini Dussart & Fernando, 1988 Mesocyclops dayakorum Holynska, 2000 Mesocyclops dissimilis Defaye & Kawabata, 1993 Mesocyclops dussarti van de Velde, 1984 Mesocyclops edax (Forbes, 1891) Mesocyclops ellipticus Kiefer, 1936 Mesocyclops evadomingoi Gutierrez-Aguirre & Suarez-Morales, 2001 Mesocyclops ferjemurami Holynska & Nam, 2000 Mesocyclops francisci Holynska, 2000 Mesocyclops friendorum Holynska, 2000 Mesocyclops geminus Holynska, 2000 Mesocyclops granulatus Dussart & Fernando, 1988 Mesocyclops guangxiensis Reid & Kay, 1992 Mesocyclops holynskae Karanovic, 2006 Mesocyclops insulensis Dussart, 1982 Mesocyclops intermedius Pesce, 1985 Mesocyclops iranicus Lindberg, 1936 Mesocyclops isabellae Dussart & Fernando, 1988 Mesocyclops jakartensis Alekseev (in Alekseev, Haffner, Vaillant & Yusoff), 2013 Mesocyclops kawamurai K. Kikuchi, 1940 Mesocyclops kayi Holynska & Brown, 2003 Mesocyclops kieferi van de Velde, 1984 Mesocyclops leuckarti (Claus, 1857) Mesocyclops longisetus (Thiébaud, 1912) Mesocyclops major G. O. Sars, 1927 Mesocyclops mariae Guo, 2000 Mesocyclops medialis Defaye, 2001 Mesocyclops meridianus (Kiefer, 1926) Mesocyclops meridionalis Dussart & Frutos, 1986 Mesocyclops microlasius Kiefer, 1981 Mesocyclops microspinulosus Lindberg, 1942 Mesocyclops monardi (Perret, 1925) Mesocyclops mongoliensis Kiefer, 1981 Mesocyclops nigerianus Kiefer, 1932 Mesocyclops notius Kiefer, 1981 Mesocyclops obsoletus (Koch, 1838) Mesocyclops ogunnus Onabamiro, 1957 Mesocyclops paludosus Lindberg, 1956 Mesocyclops papuensis van de Velde, 1987 Mesocyclops paranaensis Dussart & Frutos, 1986 Mesocyclops parentium Holynska, 1997 Mesocyclops pehpeiensis Hu, 1943 Mesocyclops pescei Petkovski, 1986 Mesocyclops pilosus Kiefer, 1930 Mesocyclops pseudoannae van de Velde, 1987 Mesocyclops pseudomeridianus Defaye & Dussart, 1989 Mesocyclops pseudooperculatus (Lindberg, 1957) Mesocyclops pseudospinosus Dussart & Fernando, 1988 Mesocyclops pubiventris Holynska & Brown, 2003 Mesocyclops rarus Kiefer, 1981 Mesocyclops reidae Petkovski, 1986 Mesocyclops restrictus Dussart & Fernando, 1985 Mesocyclops ruttneri Kiefer, 1981 Mesocyclops salinus Onabamiro, 1957 Mesocyclops shenzhenensis Guo, 2000 Mesocyclops simillimus Brady, 1907 Mesocyclops sondoongensis Tran & Holynska, 2015 Mesocyclops spinosus van de Velde, 1984 Mesocyclops splendidus Lindberg, 1943 Mesocyclops strenuus (Daday, 1905) Mesocyclops tenuisaccus (G. O. Sars, 1927) Mesocyclops thermocyclopoides Harada, 1931 Mesocyclops tobae Kiefer, 1933 Mesocyclops trispinosus (Shen & Tai, 1964) Mesocyclops woutersi van de Velde, 1987 Mesocyclops wraniki Baribwegure & Dumont, 2000 Mesocyclops yenae Holynska, 1998 Mesocyclops yesoensis Ishida, 1999 Mesocyclops yutsil Reid in Fiers, Reid, Iliffe & Suárez-Morales, 1996
Mesocyclops cokeri Najam-un-Nisa, Mahoon & Irfa Khan, 1987 (nomen dubium) Mesocyclops forbesi Najam-un-Nisa, Mahoon & Irfa Khan, 1987 (nomen dubium)
Mesocyclops brehmi Kiefer, 1927 → Thermocyclops brehmi (Kiefer, 1927) Mesocyclops brevifurcatus Harada, 1931 → Thermocyclops crassus (Fischer, 1853) Mesocyclops consimilis Kiefer, 1934 → Thermocyclops consimilis Kiefer, 1934 Mesocyclops crassus (Fischer, 1853) → Thermocyclops crassus (Fischer, 1853) Mesocyclops curvatus Kiefer, 1981 → Mesocyclops salinus Onabamiro, 1957 Mesocyclops decipiens Kiefer, 1929 → Thermocyclops decipiens (Kiefer, 1929) Mesocyclops delamarei Lescher-Moutoué, 1971 → Kieferiella delamarei (Lescher-Moutoué, 1971) Mesocyclops dybowskii (Landé, 1890) → Thermocyclops dybowskii dybowskii (Landé, 1890) Mesocyclops emini (Mrázek, 1898) → Thermocyclops emini (Mrázek, 1898) Mesocyclops gracilis (Lilljeborg, 1853) → Metacyclops gracilis (Lilljeborg, 1853) Mesocyclops hyalinus (Rehberg, 1880) → Thermocyclops hyalinus (Rehberg, 1880) Mesocyclops ianthinus Harada, 1931 → Thermocyclops ianthinus Harada, 1931 Mesocyclops incisus Kiefer, 1932 → Thermocyclops incisus (Kiefer, 1932) Mesocyclops infrequens Kiefer, 1929 → Thermocyclops infrequens (Kiefer, 1929) Mesocyclops inopinus (Kiefer, 1926) → Thermocyclops inopinus (Kiefer, 1926) Mesocyclops inversus Kiefer, 1936 → Thermocyclops inversus (Kiefer, 1936) Mesocyclops macracanthus Kiefer, 1929 → Thermocyclops macracanthus (Kiefer, 1929) Mesocyclops maheensis Lindberg, 1941 → Thermocyclops maheensis Lindberg, 1941 Mesocyclops minutus Lowndes, 1934 → Thermocyclops minutus (Lowndes, 1934) Mesocyclops neglectus G. O. Sars, 1909 → Thermocyclops neglectus (Sars G.O., 1909) Mesocyclops nicaraguensis Herbst, 1960 → Mesocyclops edax (Forbes, 1891) Mesocyclops oblongatus G. O. Sars, 1927 → Thermocyclops oblongatus (Sars G.O., 1927) Mesocyclops oithonoides (G. O. Sars, 1863) → Thermocyclops oithonoides (Sars G.O., 1863) Mesocyclops operculifer Kiefer, 1930 → Thermocyclops operculifer Kiefer, 1930 Mesocyclops orghidani Plesa, 1981 → Thermocyclops orghidani (Plesa, 1981) Mesocyclops rectus Lindberg, 1937 → Thermocyclops rectus (Lindberg, 1937) Mesocyclops retroversus Kiefer, 1929 → Thermocyclops retroversus (Kiefer, 1929) Mesocyclops rylovi Smirnov, 1928 → Thermocyclops rylovi rylovi (Smirnov, 1928) Mesocyclops schmeili (Poppe & Mrázek, 1895) → Thermocyclops schmeili (Poppe & Mrázek, 1895) Mesocyclops schuurmanae Kiefer, 1928 → Thermocyclops schuurmanae (Kiefer, 1928) Mesocyclops spinifer (Daday, 1902) → Mesocyclops annulatus (Wierzejski, 1892) Mesocyclops taihokuensis Harada, 1931 → Thermocyclops taihokuensis Harada, 1931 Mesocyclops tenellus (G. O. Sars, 1909) → Tropocyclops tenellus (Sars G.O., 1909) Mesocyclops tenuis (Marsh, 1910) → Thermocyclops tenuis (Marsh, 1910) Mesocyclops tinctus (Lindberg, 1936) → Thermocyclops tinctus Lindberg, 1936 Mesocyclops trichophorus Kiefer, 1930 → Thermocyclops trichophorus Kiefer, 1930 Mesocyclops varius Dussart, 1987 → Mesocyclops brasilianus Kiefer, 1933 Mesocyclops venezolanus Dussart, 1987 → Mesocyclops brasilianus Kiefer, 1933 Mesocyclops vermifer Lindberg, 1935 → Thermocyclops vermifer Lindberg, 1935 Mesocyclops vizarae Fryer, 1957 → Thermocyclops vizarae (Fryer, 1957)
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