No abstract

The competitive exclusion hypothesis suggests that coexisting related species using similar resources in nature should partition their realized niches. This hypothesis has direct implications for conservation strategies using biological control, taking into consideration the shifts caused by the introduction of natural enemies in a local community. Such introductions typically lead to disruptions in species interactions and interfere with community structure. In this study, we asked whether community structure of aphidophagous lady beetles is determined by the distribution of specific plants and aphids. To answer this question, we describe the distribution patterns of lady beetles (adults, larvae, and egg clusters) relative to plants and aphids in eight crop ecosystems in a central region of Brazil. We used canonical correspondence analysis to evaluate lady beetle distribution relative to selected habitat variables. Cycloneda sanguinea L., Hippodamia convergens Guérin-Méneville, Harmonia axyridis Pallas, and Eriopis connexa Germar (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) differed in their use of plants and aphids. The association of egg clusters with specific plants/aphids was stronger than that of larvae or adults. In conclusion, lady beetle species occupied different niches, indicating different patterns of habitat use that may facilitate their coexistence in crop ecosystems. Furthermore, immature individuals had more specific environmental associations than adults, likely because female choice of oviposition sites influences their distribution and thus lady beetle community structure.

Current knowledge on coccinellids is primarily focused on their role as natural enemies of soft-bodied insects. However, there is a great diversity of coccinellid parasitoid species that are less studied. Here, we describe new records of coccinellid parasitoids with emphasis on new host-parasitoid interactions in 11 sample sites in Brazil. We collected 122 coccinellid individuals parasitized by six species of parasitoids in the Cerrado and in the Atlantic Rainforest biomes. New records of coccinellid parasitoids and host associations, expansion of habitat ranges and interactions are discussed focusing on the lack of basic information on these interactions in Brazil.

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