About Diplonychus rusticus (Fabricius, 1871)
Diplonychus rusticus, a water bug insect species, is native to the Philippines, India, and Australia. This species lives in shallow waters and feeds on aquatic insects, including mosquito larvae. A study led by Dr. Pio Javier of the University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines found that Diplonychus rusticus could act as an effective biological control agent for dengue-carrying mosquitoes. The study determined that individual D. rusticus can consume 86 to 99 fully grown mosquito larvae per day. This water bug tolerates chlorinated water and reproduces easily, so it can be distributed throughout all mosquito habitats, including used tires, water containers, and other common mosquito breeding sites. Among this species, females prefer males that carry eggs on their backs.
