Unused and discarded latex collection containers (LCCs) are the major breeding
habitats of Aedes albopictus in the rubber plantations of Kerala, India. Platynectes sp. (Family:
Dytiscidae) was observed to invade these habitats during the monsoon season and voraciously
devour the larval instars of this major vector species of arbo-viral diseases. Field observations
showed a reduction of 70.91% (p = 0.0017) and 100% in Aedes larval density, on the first and
four days post release of eight beetles per LCC respectively. In laboratory, a beetle was found
to devour 17.75 + 5.0 late larval instars of Ae. albopictus per day. Our findings indicate
Platynectes sp. could be a potential bio-control agent against Ae. albopictus, the vector of
chikungunya/dengue fevers, in rubber plantations.