Comparison of Peach Cultivars for Provision of Extrafloral Nectar Resources to Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae).

Abstract

Incorporating nonprey sugar resources into apple orchards is a potential means of enhancing biological control services, but little is known about the impacts of extrafloral nectars on aphidophagous coccinellids. We explored peach Prunus persica (L.) Batsch extrafloral nectar as a supplemental resource for Harmonia axyridis (Pallas), a key aphid predator in the mid-Atlantic United States. Extrafloral nectar quantity, temporal production, and carbohydrate profile were assessed for four peach cultivars in orchard and greenhouse culture. Seasonal densities of H. axyridis visiting extrafloral nectaries were estimated, and the propensity of beetles to feed upon extrafloral nectar was compared by cultivar in the laboratory. We also compared survival of newly eclosed adult pairs that were starved or fed aphids with or without extrafloral nectar. Peach extrafloral nectar contained six carbohydrates, with sucrose dominant for all cultivars, but extrafloral nectar production varied significantly by cultivar and collection date, with 'Lovell' yielding higher average seasonal volume than the other cultivars. Harmonia axyridis continuously foraged on peach trees lacking prey, and beetle abundance was positively correlated with the number of leaves actively producing extrafloral nectar. In laboratory assays, newly emerged adult beetles preferentially selected and consumed extrafloral nectar of Lovell peach shoots. Furthermore, when prey were initially unavailable to adult H. axyridis, the beetles were sustained by extrafloral nectar and experienced longer survival compared with beetles without the supplemental resource. Collectively, these results suggest that peach extrafloral nectar is a beneficial resource that could potentially sustain H. axyridis in orchards when prey are scarce.