Abstract
A study of interactions among natural enemies is important to develop a better biological control program. Among these interactions, one that is crucial is the consumption of parasitized prey by a predator. Feeding on aphid mummies could affect the predator as well as the parasitoid species. In this study, the effect of parasitized prey on prey consumption, survival, growth, and development of 4th instar larvae of the predatory species, Coccinella septempunctata L. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), as an active predator of aphids, was studied. Moreover, the effect of parasitized and mummified aphids on female fecundity was also evaluated. The green peach aphid, Myzus persicae Sulzer (Hemiptera: Aphididae) was used. Obtained results showed that the parasitized aphids, as a predatory food, significantly affected the predator. The prey consumption was highest on parasitized (24.10 ± 0.53) and lowest on mummified (9.75 ± 0.40) aphids. The survival rate was in the order of non-parasitized > parasitized > mummified. The mass gained by the 4th instar larvae of C. septempunctata was in the order of parasitized (26.25 mg ± 0.89) > non-parasitized (19.25 mg ± 0.86) > mummified aphids (10.20 mg ± 0.52), when fed on different prey. Developmental time of the predator was recorded highest, when it consumed mummified aphids (13.6 ± 0.39). As well, female fecundity was affected positively. The female was observed to lay the most eggs (323.55 ± 1.57) to have the highest number of hatched eggs (38.70 ± 0.92), and to have the highest egg mass (196.10 μg ± 1.22), when it consumed the parasitized aphids in contrast to non-parasitized and mummified aphids. It was also found that the type of prey did not affect the incubation period of the eggs.
Highlights
Extensive use of pesticides adversely affects the population of biological control agents in the field and green house crops (Tooker et al 2020)
The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of parasitized prey on development, survival, prey preference, and fecundity of C. septempunctata
The prey consumption by C. septempunctata on different prey types was in the order of parasitized > nonparasitized > mummified aphids
Summary
Extensive use of pesticides adversely affects the population of biological control agents in the field and green house crops (Tooker et al 2020). One of the advantages of predatory insects is their ability to feed on a range of non-preferred prey species, when their preferred prey is scarce. Chatha and Naz Egyptian Journal of Biological Pest Control (2020) 30:80 of predators to feed on multiple prey species can sometimes create an intraguild competition among different biological control agents. One of these competitions is feeding on parasitized prey, which may reduce the biological control of the target pest species. Exploring the predatory behavior of an insect predator on parasitized prey is useful for understanding its effects on predator’s growth and development
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