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Intraguild Interactions between the Mealybug Predators Cryptolaemus montrouzieri and Chrysoperla carnea
- Source :
- Insects, Vol 12, Iss 655, p 655 (2021), Insects, Volume 12, Issue 7, INSECTS
- Publication Year :
- 2021
- Publisher :
- MDPI AG, 2021.
-
Abstract
- Simple Summary The ladybird Cryptolaemus montrouzieri is a widely commercialized biological control agent of mealybugs. The green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea is mainly released for aphid control, but also attacks mealybugs. Both species have shown potential to control various economically important species of mealybug pests of greenhouse crops. As these predators may be simultaneously present in a crop, the risk of negative interactions between both predators was evaluated in this laboratory study. Individuals of different life stages of either predator were placed together in petri dish arenas and predation was recorded. Attacks between individuals of both species were frequently observed, with lacewing larvae being the dominant predators in most combinations. When mealybug nymphs or lepidopteran eggs were added to the arena, the incidence of attacks between the predators was greatly diminished. The relevance of these observations for the use of the predators in the biological control of greenhouse pests is discussed. The ladybird Cryptolaemus montrouzieri and the green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea have shown potential for use in augmentative biological control of mealybug pests in greenhouse crops. In the context of combining these predators within an integrated pest management system, the risk of negative intraguild interactions between both predators was evaluated in a laboratory setting. Different life stages of either predator were confronted in petri dish arenas containing a Ficus benjamina leaf, and after 24 h the incidence and direction of intraguild predation (IGP) was recorded for each combination. The effect of adding Planococcus citri nymphs or Ephestia kuehniella eggs as extraguild prey on the level of IGP was also studied. IGP was frequently observed between the two predator species and was asymmetrical in favour of C. carnea in most cases. The presence of extraguild prey reduced the number of IGP events between the predators to a similar extent. The relevance of the observed intraguild interactions for the combined use of these predators in protected cultivation is discussed.
- Subjects :
- Agriculture and Food Sciences
BEETLES
0106 biological sciences
greenhouse crops
predator
Science
FUNCTIONAL-RESPONSE
HARMONIA-AXYRIDIS
PREY
Zoology
biological control
Context (language use)
010603 evolutionary biology
01 natural sciences
Predation
Planococcus citri
Cryptolaemus montrouzieri
Mealybug
Predator
Chrysoperla carnea
INTERFERENCE
biology
biology.organism_classification
mealybug
010602 entomology
NEUROPTERA CHRYSOPIDAE
Insect Science
AXYRIDIS COLEOPTERA-COCCINELLIDAE
LADYBIRDS
APHID PREDATORS
BEHAVIOR
Intraguild predation
intraguild predation
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 20754450
- Volume :
- 12
- Issue :
- 655
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Insects
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....6d10ef4eac7d450022978629993e7f65