European Journal of Entomology (2005) 102, 453-457

P. Katsoyannos, D.C. Kontodimas and G. Stathas (2005)
Summer diapause and winter quiescence of Hippodamia (Semiadalia) undecimnotata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in central Greece
European Journal of Entomology 102 (3), 453-457
Abstract: The aestivo-hibernation in central Greece of the aphidophagous ladybeetle Hippodamia (Semiadalia) undecimnotata (Schneider) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) was studied. H. undecimnotata is a multivoltine species in Greece. In the lowlands, all instars are abundant in spring, becoming scarce from July until the end of October and they are absent in winter. In June, most H. undecimnotata adults migrate to mountainous aestivo-hibernation sites. The duration of pre-oviposition period in females sampled monthly from the summits of the mountains Chlomo and Kitheron in central Greece and transferred to laboratory conditions of high temperature (25°C), long day (16L : 8D), and abundance of aphids (Aphis fabae), indicated that the H. undecimnotata females were in diapause during July and August. The diapause gradually terminated from late August to late October and was followed by a period of quiescence extending from November to March of the following year. During the summer diapause, arrested ovarian development was indicated by the undifferentiated state of the ovaries in all females. Males and females had enlarged fat bodies, and the median preoviposition period after the transfer to the laboratory was 92 days in early July and 64 days in early August. During the winter quiescence, arrested ovarian development was characterized by immature ovaries in females and, in some samples, by vitellogenic resorption in a few females. In winter, adults contained varying amounts of fat body reserves, and the median preoviposition period of females transferred to breeding conditions was 30 days in early November and 16 days in mid January.
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Database assignments for author(s): Dimitris C. Kontodimas

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

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
Hippodamia undecimnotata (predator)			Greece