Functional Response of Chrysoperla carnea (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) Larvae on Saissetia oleae (Olivier) (Hemiptera: Coccidae): Implications for Biological Control
Open Access
- 4 October 2020
- Vol. 10 (10), 1511
- https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10101511
Abstract
Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) is a voracious predator of soft-bodied insects such as juveniles of scale insects and the black scale Saissetia oleae (Olivier) (Hemiptera: Coccidae) is an important pest of several crops, such as the olive tree. However, the predatory efficiency of C. carnea on S. oleae has been unstudied yet. The present work aimed to study the functional response of larvae of C. carnea fed on S. oleae nymphs. In a controlled laboratory environment, increasing densities of S. oleae second and third nymph stages were offered to newly emerged specimens of the three larvae instars of C. carnea. After 24 h, the number of killed S. oleae was recorded and the functional response of C. carnea was assessed. The three larval stages of C. carnea displayed a type-II functional response, i.e., killed prey increased with higher S. oleae densities up to a maximum limited by the handling time. The attack rate did not significantly differ among the three instars while the maximum attack rate was significantly higher for the third instar. The handling time of the first larval instar of C. carnea was higher than that of the third instar. Our results demonstrated that S. oleae could act as a food resource for all larval stages of C. carnea. Furthermore, the third larval stage of the predator was the most efficient in reducing S. oleae densities. These results suggest that C. carnea larvae could contribute to S. oleae control in sustainable agriculture.Keywords
This publication has 39 references indexed in Scilit:
- Prey availability in time and space is a driving force in life history evolution of predatory insectsEvolutionary Ecology, 2011
- Functional response of Chrysoperla carnea (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) to Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae): Effect of prey and predator stagesInsect Science, 2010
- Effects of Predator–Prey Interactions and Benthic Habitat Complexity on Selectivity of a Foraging GeneralistTransactions of the American Fisheries Society, 2010
- Assessing the potential for biological control of potato field pests in Ardabil, Iran: functional responses of Orius niger (Wolf.) and O. minutus (L.) (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae)Journal of Pest Science, 2009
- Prey consumption by larval and adult stages of the entomophagous ladybird Serangium parcesetosum Sicard (Col., Coccinellidae) of the cotton whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) (Hom., Aleyrodidae), at two different temperaturesJournal of Pest Science, 2005
- Lacewings and Scale Insects: A Review of Predator/Prey Associations Between the Neuropterida and Coccoidea (Insecta: Neuroptera, Raphidioptera, Hemiptera)Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 2004
- Feeding activity and life history characteristics of the generalist predator, Chrysoperla carnea (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) at different prey densitiesJournal of Pest Science, 2004
- The predation of Chrysoperla carnea (Neurop., Chrysopidae) on eggs and larvae of Mamestra brassicae (Lep., Noctuidae)Journal of Applied Entomology, 1996
- The potential of Chrysopa carnea as a biological control agent of Myzus persicae on glasshouse chrysanthemumsAnnals of Applied Biology, 1969
- Some Characteristics of Simple Types of Predation and ParasitismThe Canadian Entomologist, 1959