Impact of odor signáis on Cycloneda sanguínea (Coleóptera: Coccinellidae) searching behavior

Abstract

G. Heit, G. Cohen, and G. Mareggiani. 2008. Impact of odor signals on Cycloneda sanguinea (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) searching behavior. Cien. Inv. Agr. 35(2):205-210.Volatile infochemicals generated by aphids, their host plants, or from the interaction between host plant and herbivore (herbivore-induced volatile plant compounds) are among the environmental stimuli used by predators to locate prey. The objective of this study was to evaluate the olfactometric response of the predator Cycloneda sanguinea (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) to volatile infochemicals associated with the tomato plant, Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. (Solanaceae), and the aphid prey Myzus persicae Sulzer (Hemiptera: Aphididae). Predator behavior was evaluated in an airfl ow olfactometer at 24 ± 2ºC with 65 ± 10% relative humidity and a 16 h photoperiod. Latency time and the number of visits to the active chamber where the odor source was located were recorded. The odor sources studied were: a. thirty healthy aphids; b. uninfested tomato leaves; c. infested tomato with 30 healthy aphids; d. infested tomato leaves with 30 stressed aphids; e. thirty stressed aphids. C. sanguinea adults were strongly attracted to the odors of infested tomato leaves, but for the other odor sources, they did not visit active chambers more often than inactive chambers. C. sanguinea took less time to fi nd active chambers with tomato leaves infested with healthy aphids than to fi nd chambers with aphids or tomato leaves alone. These results suggest that C. sanguinea uses herbivore-induced volatile plant compounds as reliable indicators of herbivore infestation to locate prey.

Searching Behavior of Coccinella undecimpunctata L. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) and Its Parasitoid Tetrastichus coccinellae Kurd. (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae)

“…Aforementioned results indicated that adult ladybeetles did not visit the chambers randomly. Adults of Cyclonida sanguinea were strongly attracted to the odors of infested tomato leaves [12]. Likewise, [13] illustrated that more beetles preferred naturally infested buckthorn over un-infested buckthorn.…”

“…As described by [12] (but with some changes, the odor sources introduced in the olfactometer were: a. crushed un-infested sorghum leaf (5cm×1cm) obtained from the apical or flag (the 1 st leaf on corn plant); b. sorghum leaf (5cm × 1cm) obtained from an apical branch infested with 30 aphids; c. thirty aphids, R. maidis and d. empty chamber.…”

“…Herbivore induced plant volatiles may be attractive to one or more specific natural enemies and serve as one of several defense options Releasing of volatiles from certain pests and host plant species, alone or associated with their info-chemicals has a role in prey location [8]. Also, these plant volatiles are an important cue used in herbivore location by carnivorous arthropods such as parasitoids and predators to find prey or hosts, where their sensory ability to perceive volatiles and the physical ability to move towards the source differed according to species variation [12] and [1].…”

The use of actometry and electronic nose devices to assess the locomotor activity of two species of Coccinellidae (Coleoptera)

“…Coccinellid responses to semiochemicals from aphids and to aphid honeydew, and related microorganisms, have been reported (Majerus, 1994;Ninkovic et al, 2001;Biesinger et al, 2005;Heit et al, 2008). Obata (1986Obata ( , 1997 has claimed that Harmonia axyridis adults used olfactory cues to differentiate aphid-infested leaves from uninfested ones.…”

Foraging behaviour of predaceous ladybird beetles: a review

“…Olfactometer experiments indicate that adults of C. septempunctata are attracted in greater numbers to twigs and leaves of different host plants infested with aphids than to aphids alone (Khan et al 2017). Similarly, adults of the ladybird, Cycloneda sanguinea Linnaeus take less time to locate olfactometer chambers containing the aphid, Myzus persicae Sulzer infesting leaves of tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum Mill than chambers containing only M. persicae or leaves of tomato (Heit et al 2008). This further indicates that foraging is largely driven by volatiles released by aphid-infested plants.…”