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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Southern Insect Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #178989
Title: EVALUATION OF FUNCTIONAL RESPONSE OF SELECTED ARTHROPOD PREDATORS ON BOLLWORM EGGS IN LABORATORY AND EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON THEIR PREDATION EFFICIENCY

Author
item Blanco, Carlos
item PARAJULEE, MEGHA - TX AGRI EXPERIMENT STATIO
item SHRESTHA, R - TX AGRI EXPERIMENT STATIO
item LESER, J - TX CO-OP EXTENSION
item WESTER, D - TX TECH UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Environmental Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/1/2005
Publication Date: 4/1/2006
Citation: Blanco, C.A., Parajulee, M.N., Shrestha, R.B., Leser, J.F., Wester, D.B. 2006. Evaluation of functional response of selected arthropod predators on bollworm eggs in laboratory and effect of temperature on their predation efficiency. Environmental Entomology. 35:379-386

Interpretive Summary: Many of the recent pest control strategies include the role that natural enemies (beneficial fauna) have of the target pest. Much emphasis has been placed in the conservation of these arthropods. Also, newer and more selective insecticides are less detrimental to natural enemies, but they are not entirely ‘innocuous’ to them. Arthropods that feed on important pests are considered into a kind of ‘black box’ that tell us that they are extremely important, but the specific role / amount of predation of each species is not well known. In this study, a clear role of 8 different species / life stages of key predators of the bollworm (Helicoverpa zea) in cotton emerges. Important differences between species (ladybird beetles the most important) and the role of temperature of their foraging habits are evaluated for the first time.

Technical Abstract: The functional response study of the eight most common arthropod predators of the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), eggs was conducted in the laboratory. Predators were starved for 24 h and single predators were exposed to prey density treatments. Predation response was observed at 6, 12, and 24 h after feeding trials began. At the highest prey density (150 eggs per predator), Hippodamia convergens Guerin-Meneville adults, Chrysoperla carnea Stephens, and Collops vittatus (Say) showed the highest consumption rates (122, 119 and 85 eggs/24 h, respectively), followed by H. convergens larvae (51 eggs/24 h) and Geocoris punctipes (Say) (45 eggs/24 h). Scymnus loewii Mulsant, Orius tristicolor, Notoxus spp. and Nabis capsiformis Germar consumed 1, 2, 5, and 12 eggs/24 h, respectively. Notoxus spp., N. capsiformis, and O. tristicolor showed Type-I functional response while C. vittatus, G. punctipes, H. convergens adult and larva, and C. carnea showed Type-II response. All predators consumed the highest number of bollworm eggs at 35 0C and the lowest numbers at 15 0C; predation rate at 35 0C was four times higher than that at 15 0C. The prey density dependent behavior of predators and effect of temperature on their predation behavior are discussed. KEY WORDS: Functional response, attack rate, predation, cotton bollworm eggs, biological control