Study of some behavioral characteristics of the predatory gall midge Aphidoletes aphidimyza Rondani on the melon aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover in laboratory conditions

Document Type : Complete paper

Authors

1 Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili

2 University of Mohaghegh Ardabili

Abstract

One of the important criteria for assessing the efficiency of natural enemies is to study their behavioral characteristics. In the current study host stage preference, switching, and mutual interference of the predatory gall midge larvae Aphidoletes aphidimyza Rondani were studied on different nymphal instars of melon aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover. The experiments were carried out in Petri dishes with cucumber leaf discs in a growth chamber. Based on the results, no significant differences were found for the preference of A. aphidimyza larvae for each nymphal instars of the melon aphid. But, its highest eaten biomass was recorded on forth instars. In switching trial, at 20: 40 and 30: 30 (third instar: first instar) ratios, the predator had more preference for third instars of the melon aphid. In mutual interference, the per capita searching efficiency of the predator varied from 0.0623 to 0.1805 h-1, which the negative value of the regression slope indicated the mutual interference of A. aphidimyza larvae. The results showed that the behavioral characteristics of A. aphidimyza may be affected by the density of the pest as well as the predator larvae.

Keywords

Main Subjects


Alaee T, Allahyari H (2013) Prey preference of Hippodamia variegata (Col.: Coccinellidae) on two aphid species: Lipaphis erysimi and Brevicoryne brassicae. Plant Pests Research 3(3): 11-19 (In Persian).
Al-Deghairi MA, Abdel-Baky NF, Fouly AH, Ghanim NM (2014) Foraging behavior of two Coccinellid species (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) fed on aphids. Journal of Agricultural and Urban Entomology 30(1): 12-24.
Alvarado P, Baltà O, Alomar O (1997) Efficiency of four as predators of Aphis gossypii and Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Hom.: Aphididae). BioControl 42(1/2): 215-226.
Arabian M, Moeeny Naghadeh N, Zamani  AA, Jalilian F (2012) Prey  preference  of  Eupeodes  corollae  (Dip.:  Syrphidae)  on  different nymphal  instars of Brevicoryne brassicae (Hem.: Aphididae). Journal of Entomological Society of Iran 32(1): 21-35 (In Persian).
Baskaran RKM, Sasikumar S, Rajavel DS, Suresh K (2009) Biology and predatory potential of aphidophagous syrphids on guava aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera: Aphididae). Journal of Biological Control23(1): 53-56.
Bayoumy MH, MichaudJP (2012) Parasitism interacts with mutual interference to limit foraging efficiency in larvae of Nephus includens (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Biological Control 62(2): 120-126.
Bennison JA, Corless SP (1993) Biological control of aphids on cucumbers: further development of open rearing units or banker plants to aid establishment of aphid natural enemies. Bull IOBC/WPRS 16(2): 5-8.
Charnov EL (1976) Optimal foraging, the marginal value theorem. Theoretical Population Biology 9(2): 129-136.
Chesson PL (1984) Variable predators and switching behavior. Theoretical Population Biology 26: 1-26.
Cronin JT, Strong DR (1993) Superparasitism and mutual interference in the egg parasitoid Anagrus delicatus (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae). Ecological Entomology 18(4): 293-302.
Fantinou AA, Baxevani A, Drizou F, Labropoulos P, Perdikis D, Papadoulis G (2012) Consumption rate, functional response and preference of the predaceous mite Iphiseius degenerans to Tetranychus urticae and Eutetranychus orientalis. Experimental and Applied Acarology 58(2): 133-144.
Fathipour Y, Hosseini Gharalari A, Talebi AA (2004) Some behavioral characteristics of Diaeretiella rapae (Hym.: Aphidiidae), parasitoid of Brevicoryne brassicae (Homoptera.: Aphididae). Iranian Journal of Agricultural Sciences 35(2): 393-401 (In Persian).
Fathipour Y, Hosseini Gharalari A, Talebi AA, Moharramipour S (2006) Functional response and mutual interference of Diaeretiella rapae (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae) on Brevicoryne brassicae (Homoptera: Aphididae). Entomologica Fennica 17(2): 90-97.
Folgar H, Malausa CJ, Wajnberg E (1990) The functional response and preference of Macrolophus caliginosus (Heteroptera: Miridae) for two of its prey: Myzus persicae and Tetranychus urticae. Entomophaga 35(3): 465-474.
Gücan A, Madanlar N, Yoldaş Z, Ersin F, Tüzel Y (2006) Pest status of organic cucumber production under greenhouse conditions in İzmir (Turkey). Turkiye Entomoloji Dergisi 30(3): 183­-193.
Harris KM (1973) Aphidophagous Cecidomyiidae (Diptera): Taxonomy, biology and assessments of field populations. Bulletin of Entomological Research 63(2): 305-325.
Hassell MP (1971) Mutual interference between searching insect parasites. Journal of Animal Ecology 40(2): 473-486.
Jafari A, Fathipour Y, Hosseini SM, Talebi AA, Moharramipour S (2006) Preference of Nabis capsiformis and Chrysoperla carnea to different nymph instars of Creontiades pallidus. Journal of Agricultural Sciences 12(1): 57-65 (In Persian).
Jalilian F, Fathipour Y, Talebi AA, Sedaratian A (2001) Functional response and mutual interference of Episyrphus balteatus and Scaeva albomaculata (Dip.: Syrphidae) fed on Myzus persicae (Hom.: Aphididae). Entomology and Phytopathology 87(2): 257-273 (In Persian).
Jaworski CC, Bompard A, Genies L, Amiens-Desneux E, Desneux N (2013) Preference and prey switching in a generalist predator attacking local and invasive alien pests. PLoS ONE 8(12): e82231. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0082231
Krivan V, Havelka J (2000) Leslie model for predatory gall-midge population. Ecological Modelling 126(1): 73-77.
Lucas E, Coderre D, Vincent Ch (1997) Voracity and feeding preferences of two aphidophagous coccinellids on Aphis citricola and Tetranychus urticae. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 85(2): 151-159.
Manly BFJ (1974) A model for certain types of selection experiments. Biometrics 30(2): 281-294.
New TR (1991) Insects as predators. New South Wales University Press, New South Wales, Australia.
Nicholson AJ (1933) The balance of animal population. Journal of Animal Ecology 2: 131-178.
Omkar P, Srivastava S (2003) Predation and searching efficiency of a ladybird beetle, Coccinella septempunctata Linnaeus in laboratory environment. Indian Journal of Experimental Biology 41(1): 82-84.
Pastorok RA (1981) Prey vulnerability and size selection by Chaoborus larvae. Ecology 62(5): 1311-1324.
Perdikis D, Kapaxidi E, Papadoulis G (2008) Biological control of insect and mite pests in greenhouse solanaceous crop. The European Journal of Plant Science and Biotechnology 2(1): 125-144.
Rondoni G, Ielo F, Ricci C, Conti E (2014) Intraguild predation responses in two aphidophagous coccinellids identify differences among juvenile stages and aphid densities. Insects 5(4): 974-983.
Ruzicka Z, Havelka J (1998) Effects of oviposition-deterring pheromone and allomones on Aphidoletes aphidimyza (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae). European Journal of Entomology 95(2): 211-216.
Sabelis MW (1985) Predation on spider mites. In: Helle W, Sabelis MW (eds.), Spider mites: their biology, natural enemies and control. Vol. 1B. Elsevier science publisher, Amsterdam. pp. 103-129.
Sabelis MW (1992) Predatory arthropods. In: Crawley MJ (ed.), Natural enemies. Blackwell, Oxford. pp. 225-264.
Satar S, Kersting U, Uygun N (2005) Effect of temperature on development and fecundity of Aphis gossypii Glover (Homoptera: Aphididae) on cucumber. Journal of Pest Science 78(3): 133-137.
Sequeira RV (1991) Nutritional and physiological ecology of insect host- parasitoid associations: the pea aphid – Aphidius ervi system. Ph.D., Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.
Shrestha G, Enkegaard A (2013) The green lacewing, Chrysoperla carnea: preference between lettuce aphids, Nasonovia ribisnigri, and western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis. Journal of Insect Science 13(1): 1-10.
Shuping L, Hongmei L, Yanhui L, Feng Z, Tim H, Ulrich K, Kongming W (2014) Functional response and mutual interference of Peristenus spretus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a parasitoid of Apolygus lucorum (Heteroptera: Miridae). Biocontrol Science and Technology 24(3): 247-256
Tazerouni Z, Talebi AA, Rakhshani E (2011) The foraging behavior of Diaretiella rapae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) on Diuraphis noxia (Hemiptera: Aphididae). Archive of Biological Science Belgrade 63(1): 225-234.
Umbanhowar J, Maron J, Harrison S (2003) Density-dependent foraging behaviors in a parasitoid lead to density-dependent parasitism of its host. Oecologia 137(1): 123-130.
van Steenis MJ (1995) Evaluation of four aphidiine parasitoids for biological control of Aphis gossypii. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 75(2): 151-157.
Vásquez GM, Orr DB, Baker JR (2006) Efficacy assessment of Aphidius colemani (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) for suppression of Aphis gossypii (Homoptera: Aphididae) in greenhouse-grown Chrysanthemum. Journal of Economic Entomology 99(4): 1104-1111.