Dietary effects upon biological performance and lambda-cyhalothrin susceptibility in the multicolored Asian lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis

Considered a generalist species among the coccinellids, the multicolored Asian lady beetle Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) feeds upon small arthropods and non-prey plant products, a practice which might enhance its ability to colonize various ecosystems but carries the potential to expose it to prey quality variation and insecticide use. Thus, we examined the effect of four different diets on the development, reproduction, and response to the insecticide lambda-cyhalothrin in this species. Three groups of larvae received laboratory-reared diets: (i) eggs of Anagasta kuehniella (Zeller) (Ak); (ii) eggs of Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier) (Sc); and (iii) eggs of A. kuehniella + S. cerealella at the proportion 1:1; and one group received wild-caught cotton aphids, Aphis gossypii Glover (Ag). Notwithstanding the generalist feeding behavior of H. axyridis, development and reproduction results were superior with diets of Ag or Ak compared with the diet combining 1:1 Ak + Sc or the diet of Sc eggs only. Furthermore, the Sc diet did not result in satisfactory development and reproduction. Despite this significant variation in biological responses, insecticide susceptibility studies using adults that had been reared on these diets showed no statistically significant differences in susceptibility to the lambda-cyhalothrin.