Environmental Entomology (1997) 26, 1004-1008
Joe Ellington, Morris Southward and Tracey Carrillo (1997)
Association among cotton arthropods
Environmental Entomology 26 (5), 1004-1008
Abstract: Although animal populations maybe associated for a number of reasons, predation is a major factor and the measurement of interspecific association may be used to reduce the total testable combinations. The objective of this study was to determine the interspecific association of a variety of cotton arthropods as a preliminary step in determining where predation occurs in cotton ecosystems. Twelve numerically prominent arthropod taxa were sampled in 9 unsprayed upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) fields with a high vacuum Insectavac sampler over 6 yr on 31 dates. Correlation coefficients were calculated to determine interspecies association on each sampling date. Nabis spp. were found associated with other genera most often (172 times) followed by Geocoris spp. (111 times), Orius spp. (100 times), Lygus spp. (84 times), Hippodamia sp. (64 times), Chrysoperla sp. (60 times), Collops sp. (53 times), Frankliniella sp. and Thrips sp. (32 times), Diabrotica sp. (26 times), Heliothis sp. (21 times), and Tetragnatha sp. (15 times). Predators were associated with various primary consumers 163 times and with various other predators 191 times, suggesting switching may readily occur and predators may feed extensively on other predators.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
environment/habitat manipulation
Pest and/or beneficial records:
| Beneficial | Pest/Disease/Weed | Crop/Product | Country | Quarant.
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lygus lineolaris | Cotton (Gossypium) | |||
| Lygus elisus | Cotton (Gossypium) | |||
| Helicoverpa zea | Cotton (Gossypium) | |||
| Frankliniella occidentalis | Cotton (Gossypium) | |||
| Diabrotica undecimpunctata | Cotton (Gossypium) | |||
| Thrips tabaci | Cotton (Gossypium) | |||
| Lygus hesperus | Cotton (Gossypium) |
