BioControl (2016) 61, 35-46

Antonella di Lascio, Filipe Madeira, Maria Letizia Costantini, Loreto Rossi and Xavier Pons (2016)
Movement of three aphidophagous ladybird species between alfalfa and maize revealed by carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis
BioControl 61 (1), 35-46
Abstract: The movement between alfalfa and maize of three of the most common aphidophagous coccinellids in southern Europe was determined using carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis at four periods during the growing season. The isotope analysis revealed movement between alfalfa and maize but patterns were different between the three species. While Coccinella septempunctata L. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) only moved from alfalfa to maize, Propylea quatuordecimpunctata L. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) continuously dispersed between the two adjacent crops. Hippodamia variegata Goeze (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) showed an intermediate pattern. Results suggest that, while alfalfa acts as a source of the three species to maize, maize also plays a role as a source of P. quatuordecimpunctata and H. variegata to alfalfa. The specific movement traits that emerged for the three coccinellid species suggest that crop management affects them differently and point out that the association between crops is very valuable for improving coccinellid biological control services.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Xavier Pons, Filipe Madeira

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
environment/habitat manipulation

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
Coccinella septempunctata (predator)			Spain (continental)
Hippodamia variegata (predator)			Spain (continental)
Propylea quatuordecimpunctata (predator)			Spain (continental)