Journal of Applied Entomology (2020) 144, 251-262

Søren Toft, Kim Jensen, Jesper G. Sørensen, Lene Sigsgaard and Martin Holmstrup (2020)
Food quality of Ephestia eggs, the aphid Rhopalosiphum padi and mixed diet for Orius majusculus
Journal of Applied Entomology 144 (4), 251-262
Abstract: We studied the food quality of the aphid Rhopalosiphum padi to the pirate bug Orius majusculus using Ephestia eggs as high-quality comparison prey. Several performance parameters were tested on individuals that had been reared and maintained on each of the two single-prey diets or on a mixed diet. All fitness parameters were lower in individuals fed aphids only, indicating poor food quality of this prey. Compared with the pure Ephestia egg diet, the mixed diet enhanced teneral mass, while adult survival and female starvation tolerance were negatively affected and all other traits were unaffected. Body protein proportions were constant across diets, whereas lipid proportion was low in the aphid treatment. Preference for aphids was lower following a monotypic aphid diet than when reared on Ephestia eggs or a mixed diet. The results confirm that R. padi is low-quality food for O. majusculus as it is for other generalist predators, even though O. majusculus may contribute significantly to population suppression of the aphid.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Søren Toft, Lene Sigsgaard

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

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Rhopalosiphum padi
Orius majusculus (predator)	Rhopalosiphum padi