Journal of Economic Entomology (2015) 108, 2546-2555

Felipe Colares, J.P. Michaud, Clint L. Bain and Jorge B. Torres (2015)
Indigenous aphid predators show high levels of preadaptation to a novel prey, Melanaphis sacchari (Hemiptera: Aphididae)
Journal of Economic Entomology 108 (6), 2546-2555
Abstract: The performance of four aphid predators, Hippodamia convergens Guerin-Meneville, Coleomegilla maculata DeGeer, Chrysoperla carnea Stephens and Orius insidiosus Say was compared on three prey species: Schizaphis graminum Rondani, Melanaphis sacchari (Zehntner), and Ephestia kuehniella Zeller eggs. Species predatory in both life stages (all except Ch. carnea) were reared on E. kuehniella eggs and switched to aphid prey for assessment of reproduction. Differences were greater between the E. kuehniella and aphid diets than between the two aphid species. Juvenile survival was high for all predators on all prey, except for O. insidiosus, which had survival on E. kuehniella > S. graminum > M. sacchari. The fastest development of Ch. carnea and O. insidiosus was obtained on E. kuehniella, whereas H. convergens developed fastest on S. graminum, and C. maculata did not differ among diets. S. graminum also yielded the largest H. convergens adults, whereas the largest adults of other predators were obtained on E. kuehniella. Female fecundity and egg viability were similarly high on both aphid diets for H. convergens and C. maculata, whereas, on E. kuehniella, 50% of the former entered reproductive diapause and the latter species had reduced fecundity. Reproductive success of Ch. carnea was S. graminum = M. sacchari > E. kuehniella, but it was similar among treatments for O. insidiosus, although female infertility ranged from 25 to 37.5%. We concluded that all the predators studied are preadapted to utilize sugarcane aphid as prey and have excellent potential to provide sustainable biological control of this newly invasive pest.
(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): J.P. Michaud, Jorge B. Torres

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.
	Melanaphis sacchari
	Schizaphis graminum
Chrysoperla carnea (predator)	Melanaphis sacchari
Coleomegilla maculata (predator)	Melanaphis sacchari
Orius insidiosus (predator)	Melanaphis sacchari
Hippodamia convergens (predator)	Melanaphis sacchari