Comparative analysis of the demographic parameters of seven spotted ladybird beetle (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) reared on various host aphid species

Abstract

Background The demographic parameters of the predacious seven spotted ladybird beetle Coccinella septempunctata Linnaeus (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) reared on the following four host aphid species were compared: Rhopalosiphum padi Linnaeus (Hemiptera: Aphididae), Rhopalosiphum maidis Fitch (Hemiptera: Aphididae), Sitobion avenae Fabricius (Hemiptera: Aphididae), and Schizaphis graminum Rondani (Hemiptera: Aphididae). Methods The developmental period, fecundity, adult preoviposition period, total preoviposition period and population parameters were evaluated based on the two-sex age-stage life table. The duration of the developmental stages and the population parameters were calculated with the TWOSEX-MSChart program, whereas population size was projected based on the two-sex age-stage life table data with the TIMING-MSChart program. Results The intrinsic rate of increase (r) was the highest in the R. padi predators (0.1946 per day), followed by the S. graminum (0.1435 per day), S. avenae (0.1400 per day), and R. maidis (0.1180 per day) predators. The differences in the net reproductive rate (R0) and the finite rate of increase (λ) when C. septempunctata was reared on the four aphid species were consistent with the r values. This trend was reversed for the mean generation time (T), which ranged from 29.02 days for the lady beetles reared on R. padi to 39.75 days for the lady beetles reared on R. maidis. Interestingly, R. padi was the most suitable host, while the congeneric R. maidis was the least suitable. The results of this study may be useful for future investigations regarding the ecological effects of predatory species and the mass-production of C. septempunctata in the laboratory for an augmentative release of an aphid predator.

Potential of variegated lady beetle Hippodamia variegata in management of invasive tomato potato psyllid Bactericera cockerelli

“…Predators are expected to have a higher r value with a short pre‐ovipositional period if fecundity is similar. 72 For other species of ladybirds, a higher intrinsic rate of increase was observed with a short pre‐ovipositional period 73 , 74 but in those studies, measures of fecundity also varied; population growth being higher with higher fecundity. In the present study, the pre‐ovipositional period did not differ significantly between the diets, population growth rate appearing to be driven primarily by differences in fecundity.…”

Chemotaxis response and age-stage, two-sex life table of the Cheilomenes sexmaculata (Fabricius) (Coccinellidae: Coleoptera) against different aphid species

“…After the emergence of adults, five pairs (each pair represent one replication) of each treatment were placed in plastic jars (8×8×14 cm) separately. Pre-oviposition, oviposition, post-oviposition, adult survival rate, male and female longevity were recorded [34].…”

Comparative Demographic Traits of the Whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) B Biotype against different Host Plants

“…The nutritional quality of the host affects the biological parameters of polyphagous insect species (Askoul et al 2018;Farooq et al 2018Farooq et al , 2020. The developmental duration, fecundity, and longevity of B. tabaci are also strongly influenced by the type of host plant with high nutritional qualities, it provides more food, shelter, and space for ovipositing (Lorenzo et al 2016).…”