Natural Enemies of Micraspis crocea Mulsant (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

Abstract

Field survey and laboratory studies were conducted to gather information on the natural enemies of Micraspis crocea. A number of predators, parasitoids and entomopathogens were observed to be associated with this species of beetle. Among the predators, the spiders were quite common in the field attacking both the larvae and adult beetles. Four species of spiders, Tetragnatha maxillosa Thorell, Argiope catenulata Doelschall, Oxyopes lineatipes C.L. Koch and Lycosa pseudoannulata Bosenberg and Strand were recorded belonging to 4 families: Tetragnathidae, Araneidae, Oxyopidae and Lycosidae, respectively. Among the species, Oxyopes lineatipes had a hight rate of consumption of the beetle larvae in the laboratory. Other insect predators observed included long-horned grasshoppers (Conocephalus longipennis), crickets (Metioche vittacolis Stal), carabid beetles (Ophionea nigrofasciata Schmidt-Goebel) and species of ant (Solenopsis germinata Fabricius). An Encyrtid wasp was also observed to parasitize the larvae of M. crocea while the white muscardine fungus, Beauveria bassiana Balsamo (Vuillemin) was found to infect the adult beetles in the field.