Role of alternative foods in survival

of aphidophagous ladybird beetles

(Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in the

oriental region

Navodita Maurice*, A. Kumar and P.W.Ramteke Department of Biological Sciences,

Sam Higginbottom Institute of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, (Formerly Allahabad Agricultural Institute),

Deemed-to-be-University, Naini, Allahabad-211007, India

Introduction Ladybirds are very popular cosmopolitan insects, predate upon

numerous insects pests, viz., aphids, scale insects, mealybugs, thrips, and

other soft bodied insects and phytophagous mites.

Thompson (1951) has suggested for the first time that ladybirds have

specific food requirements.

It is known that aphidophagous ladybirds consume different food types because aphids are abundant only during restricted time period & due to the differences in the nutritive suitability of food types it is essential to distinguish between essential & alternative foods

Essential food help to sustain both larval development & oviposition

Food which only provides energy to survive in periods of aphid scarcity, but does not favour ovariole ripening & completion of juvenile development is the alternative food

Seasonal availability of aphids

Many aphid species produce peak populations in spring

The availability of aphids fluctuate throughout the year

Abundance of aphids depends upon the environmental

factors, particularly precipitation & temperature, thus,

often unpredictable

The notorious ephemerability of aphid prey may have led

to evolution of plastic & variable reproductive behaviour in

populations of aphidopahgous ladybird beetles

STOCK CULTURE Adults of C.septempunctata, C.transversalis & C.

sexmaculata were collected from the agricultural fields

adjoining Allahabad

Mating pairs were separated and kept in plastic Petri

dishes (9.0×2.0 cm) at 27±1ºC; 65±5% RH; 14:10 LD in

the environmental test chamber

Fed on aphids

Eggs obtained were used for experiment

Larvae hatched were fed on essential as well as alternative

foods

Eight species of aphids were used as essential food and

four treatments of alternative foods were given

EXPERIMENTAL PROTOCOL The major objective of our study was to find out the

survival of the 3-species of ladybirds throughout the year

by feeding on essential as well as on alternative foods

Larvae hatched from different mothers were used for the

experiment

Development was recorded on both essential as well as

alternative foods

Eight species of aphids were provided as essential food

Four treatments of alternative foods were given

Results

A. Effect of essential food on species was found to

be highly significant

For:

L1 (F=17.99; P<0.0001)

L2 (F=21.28; P<0.001)

L3 (F=19.88; P<0.0001)

L4 (F=9.23, P<0.001)

Prepupa (F=2.35, P<0.001)

Pupa (F=8.59, P<0.001)

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

L1 L2 L3 L4 Prepupa Pupa

Development of C. septempunctata on different species of aphids

Dev

elo

pm

enta

l S

tag

es

Aphid Species

Development of C. transversalis on different species of aphids

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5L1 L2 L3 L4 Prepupa Pupa

Aphid Species

Dev

elo

pm

enta

l S

tag

es

Development of C. sexmaculata on different species of aphids

0

1

2

3

4

5

6L1

L2

L3

L4

Prepupa

Pupa

Aphid Species

Dev

elo

pm

enta

l S

tag

es

Contd... B. Effect of alternative foods was found to be

statistically non-significant

For:

L1 (F=0.03; P>0.05)

L2(F=0.01; P>0.05)

L3(F=0.51; P>0.05)

L4(F=0.03; P>0.05)

Prepupa (F=0.53; P>0.05)

Pupa (F=0.83; P>0.05)

Development of C. septempunctata on alternative foods

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

L1 L2 L3 L4 Prepupa Pupa

Mealy Bugs

Pollen Grains

Sugar Syrup

Honey

Developmental stage

Alt

ern

ati

ve f

ood

Development of C. transversalis on alternative foods

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

L1 L2 L3 L4 Prepupa Pupa

Mealy Bugs Pollen Grains Sugar Syrup HoneyA

lter

nati

ve

Food

s

Developmental Stages

Development of C. sexmaculata on alternative foods

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

L1 L2 L3 L4 Prepupa Pupa

Mealy Bugs

Pollen Grains

Sugar Syrup

Honey

Developmental stage

Alt

ern

ati

ve f

ood

Our Findings

• Developmental duration was

found to be shorter when the

larvae of all the three species were

fed on aphids

• Mortality was less on A.craccivora,

A.gossypii, R.maidis, H.setariae

with short developmental duration

• U.compositae, H.coriandri,

L.erysimi also support

development but developmental

duration was increased for all the

three species

• A.nerii failed to support larval

development of C.septempunctata

& C.transversalis but favoured

development of C.sexmaculata on

low scale

• Mealy bugs, honey syrup

supported larval growth, with

prolonged larval duration, as

they supply only energy to

sustain life without providing

essential nutrients

• Pollen grains & sugar syrup

failed to sustain larval

development as they failed to

provide energy as well as

nourishment to the

development resulting in 100%

mortality

Essential food Alternative food

Future Prospective Effect of food on microbial flora of

ladybird’s gut

Detailed gut analysis of gut of ladybirds

after feeding on different food

combinations

Search for better alternative foods for

ladybirds that will sustain both fecundity &

longevity

References Ashraf, M. (2010). A study on laboratory rearing of ladybird beetle (Coccinella septempunctata) to observe its fecundity & longevityon natural and artificial diets. Int. J. Biol. Vol.2 No.1

Hodek, I & Honěk, A. (1996). Ecology of Coccinellidae. Dordrecht:Kluwer Academic Publisher

Hodek, I & Michaud, J.P. (2008). Why is Coccinella septempunctata so successful?. Eur. J. Entomol. 105:1-12

Thompson, W.R. (1951). The specificity of host relations in predaceous insects. Canadian Entomologist, 83:262-269.

Triltsch, H. (1999). Food remains in the guts of Coccinella septempunctata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) adults and larvae. Eur. J. Entomol, 96:355-364

Hemptinne, J.-L., Naisse, J. & Os.S. (1988). Glimpse of the life history of Propylea quaturodecimpunctata (L.) (Col: Coccinellidae). Med. Fac. Landbouww. Rijksuniv. Gent. 53:1175-1182.

Please send your feedback on: navoditageorge@gmail.com

My sincere thanks to:

Prof. (Dr.) P. W. Ramteke

Dr. Ashwani Kumar

Dr. Pradeep K. Shukla