菱斑巧瓢虫替代饲料的研究

瓢虫成虫饥饿24h后,通过室内对菱斑巧瓢虫Oenopia conglobata (Linnaeus)成虫饲喂24种人工饲料,研究菱斑巧瓢虫的取食行为;以桃蚜(MP)作对照,选择羊肝+蔗糖(SLS)、猪肝+蔗糖(PLS)、黄粉虫蛹+蔗糖(TMPS)3种饲料研究瓢虫产卵量;以白蛾周氏啮小蜂蛹(CCP)、SLS、PLS和MP对瓢虫成虫进行交叉饲喂试验,每周期7d,研究饥饿后恢复产卵时间和产卵量的差异;最后以CCP和MP饲喂瓢虫幼虫,观察其发育历期。结果表明:在羊肝、鸡心、菜蛾幼虫、鸡肝和黄粉虫蛹组中,无论是否添加蔗糖,瓢虫取食情况较好。瓢虫成虫饲喂SLS、TMPS、PLS及MP后,MP组的14d单雌产卵量为166.25粒、SLS组为18.15粒、PLS为9.65粒和TMPS组3.90粒,瓢虫恢复产卵的时间也有差异,MP组仅需要1d,而其它组需要3d至至5d。交叉饲喂试验发现,CCP组产卵量(40.67～46.87粒/雌)明显高于常用饲料-PLS组(4.53～7.13粒/雌),但与MP组(61.80～82.07粒/雌)仍有一定差距。利用CCP饲喂瓢虫幼虫,可以完成整个发育历期,但是存活率较低,1～4龄幼虫各龄期内存活率在63.64%～87.50%之间,并且发育历期(21.23d)明显长于饲喂MP组(15.71d)。     

Development and application of molecular gut‐content analysis to detect aphid and coccinellid predation by Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in Italy

Despite their positive effect in reducing pest populations, exotic generalist predators sometimes become invasive and contribute to the displacement of indigenous species in the same trophic level. Although laboratory experiments have linked intraguild predation (IGP) to these interactions, field evidence and quantification of IGP are still lacking for most systems. The recent establishment of the exotic Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in Italy raises concern about the detrimental effect that the ladybird could have on native coccinellids. Here we assessed, under laboratory conditions, the acceptability and suitability of eggs of 2 native ladybirds, Adalia bipunctata L. and Oenopia conglobata (L.), as prey items for H. axyridis larvae. Then we developed primers for molecular gut‐content analysis to detect predation by H. axyridis on the 2 ladybirds and on the aphid Eucallipterus tiliae L. Species‐specific 16S primers were developed for the 3 species and laboratory feeding trials were conducted to quantify the rate of prey DNA breakdown in the gut of H. axyridis. Moreover, to field evaluate primers, H. axyridis 4th instars (n = 132) were systematically collected from linden trees in northern Italy and screened for the presence of prey DNA. Seventy‐three percent and 7% of field collected H. axyridis were positive for aphid and coccinellid DNA, respectively. Predation upon aphid and A. bipunctata was lower than predicted if density dependent consumption was expected, while predation upon O. conglobata was significantly higher. Here, we provided the first evidence of IGP among feral populations of H. axyridis and indigenous ladybird beetles, occurring in Italy.