Florida Entomologist (2020) 103, 139-141

Nicola A. Irvin and Mark S. Hoddle (2020)
Assessing the flight capabilities of fed and starved Allograpta obliqua (Diptera: Syrphidae), a natural enemy of Asian citrus psyllid, with computerized flight mills
Florida Entomologist 103 (1), 139-141
Abstract: Flight mills were used to investigate flight capabilities of Allograpta obliqua (Say) (Diptera: Syriphidae), an important predator of Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae), in California. Specifically, distance by which A. obliqua can fly in 24 h, and the effect of sex and feeding treatment (fed or starved) on flight capabilities were investigated. A total of 17 (7 females, 10 males) laboratory-reared flies were flown. There was no significant effect of sex on distances flown. Out of a total of 3,487 flight bouts, 7 consisted of A. obliqua flying 1 to 2 m, and 5 bouts consisted of A. obliqua flying over 5 m. The remaining bouts (99.7%) were less than 1 m and were considered 'hovering' because they consisted of extremely short bursts of flight activity (< 10 s). The 5 bouts over 5 m were conducted by 2 fed females, and the mean distance flown and mean flight bout time were 39 ± 13 m and 113 ± 24 s, respectively.
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Database assignments for author(s): Nicola A. Irvin, Mark S. Hoddle

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.
	Diaphorina citri		U.S.A. (SW)
Allograpta obliqua (predator)	Diaphorina citri		U.S.A. (SW)