BioControl (2014) 59, 415-425

Sara Maes, Xavier Massart, Jean-Claude Grégoire and Patrick De Clercq (2014)
Dispersal potential of native and exotic predatory ladybirds as measured by a computer-monitored flight mill
BioControl 59 (4), 415-425
Abstract: The performance of three species of predatory ladybirds was compared in a flight mill and the effect of diet on their flight parameters was tested. The invasive ladybird Harmonia axyridis Pallas (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) outperformed Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) and Adalia bipunctata (L.) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in terms of flight distance, duration and velocity. Harmonia axyridis flew at least two times further, needed three times less breaks and flew two times faster than C. montrouzieri and A. bipunctata fed the same diet. Ladybirds reared on eggs of Ephestia kuehniella (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) performed better than their counterparts reared on natural prey (aphids for H. axyridis and A. bipunctata, mealybugs for C. montrouzieri). The findings of this study indicate that comparative flight studies can be useful to identify candidate biocontrol agents with pronounced dispersal abilities and thus can yield significant evidence to be used in an environmental risk assessment. However, it also demonstrates that variability related to mass rearing conditions should not be ignored when standardizing a risk assessment procedure for candidate biocontrol agents.
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Database assignments for author(s): Sara Maes, Patrick De Clercq, Jean-Claude Grégoire

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
general biology - morphology - evolution
population dynamics/epizootiology

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
Adalia bipunctata (predator)
Harmonia axyridis (predator)			Belgium
Cryptolaemus montrouzieri (predator)