Environmental Entomology (1997) 26, 983-988

Sujaya Udayagiri, Charles E. Mason and John D. Pesek Jr. (1997)
Coleomegilla maculata, Coccinella septempunctata (Coleptera: Coccinellidae), Chrysoperla carnea (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), and Macrocentrus grandii (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) trapped on colored sticky traps in corn habitats
Environmental Entomology 26 (4), 983-988
Abstract: Behavioral responses of 4 species of natural enemies to 4 colors were examined by capturing adults on colored sticky cards placed at 2 locations (edge and interior) in corn, Zea mays L. fields. Cards were placed at 2 heights (1.8 and 0.3 m) in 1993 and in 2 habitats (sweet and field corn) in 1994, using a split-split plot design. Natural enemies studied included the coccinellids Coleomegilla maculata (DeGeer) and Coccinella septempunctata L., the chrysopid Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens), and Macrocentrus grandii Goidanich, a braconid larval parasitoid of Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner). Compared with red, green, and white cards, yellow cards trapped greater numbers of all natural enemies, except C. carnea, which was trapped equally on cards of all 4 colors. Few significant interactions were observed between the effects of color and those of location and height or habitat, which are perhaps indicative of microhabitat preferences. Captures on cards provided information on abundance of each natural enemy species during different periods in the summer. It also revealed the pattern of adult flights of M. grandii, which is useful for determining whether its life cycle is synchronized with that of its host. The study suggests that, besides studying behavioral responses, color cards may be useful for monitoring natural enemy populations.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Database assignments for author(s): Charles E. Mason

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
surveys/sampling/distribution
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
surveys/distribution/isolation

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Ostrinia nubilalis	Maize/corn (Zea mays)
Coccinella septempunctata (predator)
Chrysoperla carnea (predator)
Coleomegilla maculata (predator)
Macrocentrus grandii (parasitoid)	Ostrinia nubilalis	Maize/corn (Zea mays)