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: [email protected]
My sincere thanks to:
Prof. (Dr.) P. W. Ramteke
Dr. Ashwani Kumar
Dr. Pradeep K. Shukla
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