Abstract
Qualitative and quantitative differences in prey are known to affect the life histories of predators. A laboratory study was used to evaluate the suitability of three aphid prey, Aphis gossypii, Aphis craccivora and Lipaphis erysimi, for the ladybird beetle, Anegleis cardoni (Weise). Development was fastest on A. gossypii followed by A. craccivora and L. erysimi. Percentage pupation, immature survival, adult weight and the growth index were all highest when reared on A. gossypii and lowest on L. erysimi. Similarly, oviposition period, lifetime fecundity and egg viability were all highest on a diet of A. gossypii, lowest on L. erysimi and intermediate on A. craccivora. Age-specific fecundity functions were parabolic. Adult longevity, reproductive rate and intrinsic rate of increase were all highest on A. gossypii and lowest on L. erysimi. Life table parameters reflected the good performance on A. gossypii and poor performance on L. erysimi. Estimates of individual fitness values for the adults reared on A. gossypii and A. craccivora were similar and higher than that of adults reared on L. erysimi. Thus, the three species of aphid can all be considered essential prey for A. cardoni.
Highlights
Food quality can influence many aspects of the development, survival and reproduction of predators
Mating pairs and different life stages were kept in Petri dishes (9.0 × 1.5 cm) in an Environmental Test Chamber (ETC) at 27 ± 2°C; 65 ± 5% RH; and a 14L: 10D photoperiod and were supplied with one of the following aphid species: Aphis craccivora reared on bean (Dolichos lablab Linnaeus), Aphis gossypii reared on bottle gourd (Lagenaria vulgaris Seringe) or Lipaphis erysimi reared on mustard (Brassica campestris Linnaeus)
The present study reveals a significant influence of aphid prey on the life attributes of A. cardoni, with overall best performance on A. gossypii
Summary
Food quality can influence many aspects of the development, survival and reproduction of predators. The suitability of prey for ladybird beetles is well studied (reviewed in Hodek, 1996) the importance of the subject remains undiminished (Michaud, 2000, 2005; Kalaskar & Evans, 2001; Nielsen et al, 2002). Both larvae and adults of the majority of the species of coccinellid are predators. Essential prey supports development and reproduction, whereas alternative prey enables adults to survive when essential prey is scarce (Hodek, 1962; Mills, 1981; Evans et al, 1999). Rana et al (2002) suggested that the performance of a ladybird can be improved by selection, even if the prey is initially less suitable
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