Functional and numerical responses of Cyrtorhinus lividipennis to eggs of Nilaparvata lugens are not affected by genetically modified herbicide-tolerant rice

Abstract

To safely and sustainably utilize genetic breeding techniques for crop production, greater understanding of the potential effects of genetically modified herbicide-tolerant (GMHT) crops on the ecological functions of predators is required. In the laboratory, we examined the functional and numerical responses of Cyrtorhinus lividipennis Reuter to eggs of brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens (Stål), which were reared on GMHT rice Bar68-1; the untransformed parental cultivar, D68; or a BPH-susceptive rice variety, Taichung Native 1. All stages of nymphs and female adult of C. lividipennis, either on GMHT rice or control plants, exhibited typical type II functional responses when fed on BPH eggs; the attacking rate and handling time of C. lividipennis on GMHT rice Bar68-1 was not significantly different from that on D68. The numerical responses of C. lividipennis on GMHT rice or controls fit Beddington's model; there were no significant differences in the parameters of numerical responses between GMHT rice Bar68-1 and D68. The results indicated that the functional and numerical responses of C. lividipennis to BPH eggs are not affected by GMHT rice Bar68-1.