European Journal of Entomology (2008) 105, 399-403
B. Frechette, F. Larouche and E. Lucas (2008)
Leucopis annulipes larvae (Diptera: Chamaemyiidae) use a furtive predation strategy within aphid colonies
European Journal of Entomology 105 (3), 399-403
Abstract: A laboratory experiment was conducted to determine whether the predation strategy of larvae of the aphidophagous silver fly Leucopis annulipes Zetterstedt (Diptera: Chamaemyiidae) is furtive, as are larvae of the aphidophagous midge Aphidoletes aphidimyza Rondani (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), or active like aphidophagous ladybird beetle larvae (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). The impact of L. annulipes larvae on pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), colony disturbance was evaluated and compared with that of the furtive predator A. aphidimyza and the active-searching ladybird beetle Harmonia axyridis Pallas. Results indicate that aphids showed significantly fewer defensive acts (dropping, walking away, wriggling) in the presence of L. annulipes larvae than of ladybird beetle larvae. Furthermore, the impact of L. annulipes larvae on aphid colony disturbance was similar to that of A. aphidimyza and to a control treatment without predators. These results clearly indicate that L. annulipes larvae use a furtive predation strategy.
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Database assignments for author(s): Bruno Frechette, Éric Lucas
Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
general biology - morphology - evolution
Pest and/or beneficial records:
| Beneficial | Pest/Disease/Weed | Crop/Product | Country | Quarant.
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aphis pomi | Apple (Malus) | Canada (east) | ||
| Aphis spiraecola | Apple (Malus) | Canada (east) | ||
| Harmonia axyridis (predator) | ||||
| Aphidoletes aphidimyza (predator) | ||||
| Leucopis annulipes (predator) | Aphis pomi | Apple (Malus) | Canada (east) | |
| Leucopis annulipes (predator) | Aphis spiraecola | Apple (Malus) | Canada (east) |
