Natural enemies of the Coccinellidae: Parasites, pathogens, and parasitoids

Abstract

a b s t r a c tWe review aspects of the life histories of representative enemies of coccinellids (both entomophagous and phytophagous species) and expose both potential and real effects that they have on life parameters of their hosts. Lady beetles are attacked by a variety of natural enemies (bacteria, fungi, mites, nematodes, protozoa, wasps, flies). Few of these enemies have the ability to alter significantly the population dynamics of their hosts. This review should encourage further research to help define the role of natural enemies in the population dynamics of coccinellids. Ultimately, the conservation of beneficial lady beetles and the management of nuisance and pestiferous ones should be major emphases of research on coccinellid-natural enemy interactions.Published by Elsevier Inc.

Hesperomyces virescens (Fungi, Ascomycota, Laboulbeniales) attacking Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae) in its native range

“…Described from California (as S. virescens) on Chilocorus stigma (Say 1835) (as Chilocorus bivulnerus; Coleoptera, Coccinellidae), H. virescens is a widespread species known from all continents except Antarctica, attacking several coccinellid genera [14,15]. It has only been reported upon H. axyridis in the USA, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and the UK; a detailed summary with all recordings of H. virescens on H. axyridis so far is given in Table 1.…”

Interactions between the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana and the Neotropical predator Eriopis connexa (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae): Implications in biological control of pest

“…The fungal species B. bassiana was isolated from Cycloneda sanguinea L. in Argentina (Toledo et al 2008). The parasitic fungus Hesperomyces virescens (Laboulbeniales: Laboulbeniaceae) has been reported to infect several coccinellids, such as Chilocorus stigma Say, C. bipustulatus L., Adalia bipunctata (L.), H. axyridis, Hippodamia convergens Guérin-Méneville and E. connexa (Riddick et al 2009). Even though this fungus invades the cuticle there are no known deleterious impacts on the host (Nalepa and Weir 2007).…”

“…Vuill., L. longisporum and Isaria fumosorosea Wize, have been successfully utilized as biological control agents against numerous pests including aphids (de Faria and Wraight 2007;Powell and Pell 2007;Draganova et al 2008). The main biological attributes for a mycoinsecticide are the virulence toward the target insect and that it is not harmful to other beneficial organisms such as parasitoids and predators (Riddick et al 2009).…”

Occurrence and biology of Dinocampus coccinellae (Schrank, 1802) (Hymenoptera; Braconidae: Euphorinae) parasitising different species of Coccinellidae (Coleoptera) in Neotropical region

“…Possibly such species may be under the action of one or more species of natural enemies. Therefore, a better understanding of the factors involved in its performance in the field, could explain the low rate of predation serving as a basis for the correct choice of the species to make the most efficient biological control (Katsarou et al, 2005;Riddick et al, 2009).…”

“…Dinocampus coccinellae is a telitokous parthenogenetic solitary parasitoid (Balduf, 1926;Obrycki, 1989;Phillips and Emberson, 1999;Okuda and Ceryngier, 2000;Hoogendoorn and Heimpel, 2002;Riddick et al, 2009), whose females do not discriminate hosts which have already been parasitised by other females of the same species (Geoghegan et al, 1998;Majerus et al, 2000;Koyama and Majerus, 2008).…”