Effects of conspecific and heterospecific larval tracks on the oviposition behaviour of the predatory ladybird, Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

Hironori Yasuda,Kazunobu Kogi,Takumi Takagi

doi:10.14411/eje.2000.085

Abstract

The effect of the oviposition deterring pheromone (ODP) in the larval tracks of conspecific and heterospecific ladybirds on oviposition in Harmonia axyridis Pallas was studied in semi natural conditions. Gravid females of H. axyridis were deterred from ovipositing on plants contaminated with conspecific larval tracks, but not on those with heterospecific tracks. H. axyridis females spent significantly less time on plants contaminated with conspecific ODP than on those with heterospecific ODP. This behaviour may account for why fewer eggs were laid on plants contaminated with conspecific ODP.

Highlights

There has been an increase in our understanding of how females of predatory insects assess the quality of patches of prey as potential oviposition sites (Hemptinne et al, 1992, 1993; Růžička, 1994, 1996, 1997a; Dixon, 1997; Doumbia et al, 1998)
Doumbia et al (1998) speculated that a similar response shown by the ladybird, A. bipunctata, might serve to reduce egg cannibalism, and the weak response to heterospecific oviposition deterring pheromone (ODP) was attributed to a lower frequency of encounters with het erospecifics as each species of ladybirds occupies a different but overlapping habitat
The hypothesis suggested by Doumbia et al (1998) might apply to the response of H. axyridis to conspecific ODP observed in this study because egg cannibalism has been recorded for the species in the field (Hironori & Katsuhiro, 1997; Sato, 1997)

Summary

Introduction

There has been an increase in our understanding of how females of predatory insects assess the quality of patches of prey as potential oviposition sites (Hemptinne et al, 1992, 1993; Růžička, 1994, 1996, 1997a; Dixon, 1997; Doumbia et al, 1998). The survival of their larvae mainly depends on the quality and quantity of prey in a patch (Kindlmann & Dixon, 1993; Hemptinne et al, 1993). The presence of ODPs in other ladybird species needs to be established

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