Host plants and Biological Characteristics of Illeis koebelei Timberlake (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae: Halyziini) in Gyeonggi-do

Abstract

We investigated mycophagous ladybird, Illeis koebelei from 12 species of plants infected with powdery mildew in Gyeonggi-do, Korea. The pear tree, Pyrus ussuriensis var. macrostipes (Nakai), was most preferred by I. koebelei. This species was found from early July to early November in pear orchards. There was no entomophagous trace in the gut of I. koebelei without powdery mildew spores in a microscope. All stages except egg and pupa are obligate mycophagous, and the feeding potential is ranked as follows: fourth instar, adults, third instar, second instar, and first instar. Feeding amounts of each stage of I. koebelei were 45.6, 144.4, 372.2, 628.1, and 473.7 mm 2 of cucumber powdery mildew per day. Fourth instar larvae showed highest consumption of cucumber powdery mildew. Developmental periods of four larval instars and adults feeding cucumber powdery mildew were 1.2, 2.3, 2.3, 4.6, and 37.7 days, respectively, at 25°C. In this study, we could not determine the feeding potential of I. koebelei against the cucumber powdery mildew; therefore, and further studies are required to elucidate the potential of this species as a biological control agent, e.g., mass rearing, selection of low toxic chemical agents for Integrated Pest Management (IPM), and control techniques against powdery mildew in agro-ecosystems.