Influence of six aphid prey species on development and reproduction of a ladybird beetle, Coccinella septempunctata

Pre-imaginal development, immaturesurvival, and reproduction of a ladybird, Coccinella septempunctata Linnaeus, werestudied in response to six aphid species, Aphiscraccivora Koch, Aphis gossypii Glover,Aphis nerii Boyer de Fonscolombe,Lipaphis erysimi (Kaltenbach), Myzuspersicae (Sulzer) and Uroleuconcompositae (Theobald) to quantify theirrelative suitability as prey. Pre-adultdevelopment was shortest (13.93 ± 0.12 days)when fed on L. erysimi and longest(22.85 ± 0.10 days) on A. nerii. Immaturesurvival, adult emergence, growth index,relative growth rate, development rate, maleand female longevity, oviposition period,fecundity and hatching percent were maximal, i.e. 73.47 ± 0.89%, 90.07 ± 1.43%,8.62 ± 0.23, 1.52 ± 0.02, 0.07,81.10 ± 1.26 days, 85.70 ± 1.45 days,69.80 ± 1.32 days, 1764.10 ± 8.46,and 87.88 ± 1.05, respectively when C.septempunctata were fed on L. erysimi.The same parameters were minimal, i.e.43.86 ± 1.33%, 71.65 ± 2.75%,2.02 ± 0.08, 0.49 ± 0.02, 0.04,44.40 ± 1.39 days, 53.50 ± 1.00 days,16.40 ± 0.60 days, 203.20 ± 11.83, and48.68 ± 2.06, respectively on A. nerii. Theweights of different ladybird life stages weremaximal after feeding on L. erysimi and minimalon A. nerii. Regression analyses of thedata revealed linear relationships betweendevelopment rate and weight of adult; dailyprey consumption and relative growth rate; logweight of adult male and female; and longevityand fecundity of female. On the basis of thesefindings, the order of suitability of aphidspecies for C. septempunctata is L. erysimi >M. persicae > A. craccivora > A. gossypii >U. compositae > A. nerii. Thus, the presentinformation can be utilized for the massrearing of C. septempunctata by supplyingthe best food and can also help in theprediction of the relative abundance of theladybird on different aphid infestations in thefields.     

Avoidance of a generalist entomopathogenic fungus by the ladybird, Coccinella septempunctata

Fungal entomopathogens are ubiquitous within the environment and susceptible insects are predicted to be under strong selection pressure to detect and avoid virulent isolates. Beauveria bassiana is an entomopathogenic fungus with a wide host range including coccinellids. Seven-spot ladybirds, Coccinella septempunctata, overwinter predominantly in leaf litter and B. bassiana is one of their major mortality factors during winter in temperate regions. Behavioural assays were conducted to assess the ability of adult C. septempunctata to avoid lethal densities of B. bassiana conidia in soil or on leaves. Further assays considered avoidance by C. septempunctata of mycosed (B. bassiana) C. septempunctata cadavers compared with uninfected C. septempunctata cadavers or in vitro B. bassiana. Treatments in any bioassays entirely avoided by C. septempunctata were regarded as censored data, to overcome the difficulties associated with zeros in log-ratio analyses. Male and female C. septempunctata avoided contact with leaf surfaces and soil inoculated with B. bassiana and mycosed cadavers. The ability of C. septempunctata to detect and avoid B. bassiana conidia is an adaptation that undoubtedly increases survival and ultimately fitness. We predict that such behavioural responses are widespread and driven by the high cost of fungal infection to a host.     

Age-specific mating and reproductive senescence in the seven-spotted ladybird, Coccinella septempunctata

Abstract:  Adults of the seven-spotted ladybird, Coccinella septempunctata Linnaeus (Col., Coccinellidae) were paired for mating from very young to old age (1–50 days) to record the willingness to mate, attainment of sexual maturity and onset of reproductive senescence in both the sexes. Mating commenced after 4 and 2 days of emergence of male and female, respectively, and 100% mating was achieved at the young age in both cases (10 days). Willingness to mate decreased with increase in the age from 40 to 50 days of both the sexes. Ladybird exhibited protandry. Mating duration, fecundity and per cent viability of eggs of middle-aged males (20–30 days old) and females (20 days old) were the highest. Mating duration and per cent viability of eggs were male age dependent, whereas pre-oviposition and oviposition periods were mating stimulus dependent. Oviposition period and fecundity were female age-dependent responses. Fecundity was highest when 20-day-old female and 30-day-old male were paired. Onset of reproductive senescence started at the age of 30 days in males and 20 days in females. The present study confirms the effect of ageing on male and female C. septempunctata and supports the Hansen and Price [J. Evol. Biol. (1995) vol. 8, pp. 759–778] model that females mating with young and middle-aged males yield optimal quality progeny.     

Vitellogenin synthesis in the lady beetle Coccinella septempunctata

To elucidate the hormonal mechanisms which regulate reproduction in a beneficial insect, we have begun to investigate the process of vitellogenesis in Coccinella septempunctata, the seven-spotted lady beetle. Vitellin (Vn) constitutes 60–70% of the total protein in C. septempunctata eggs and is composed of four polypeptides with molecular weights determined by electrophoresis in denaturing gels of 133,000, 130,000, 46,000 and 43,000. In the egg these polypeptides occur in a ratio of approx. 1:1:1:2. The two larger Vn polypeptides yielded similar peptide fragments upon partial proteolytic digestion which suggests that they are structurally related. The two smaller Vn polypeptides appear structurally distinct because they yielded unique proteolytic fragments. The Vn precursor, vitellogenin (Vg), was observed in the haemolymph of mature females, but was not detected in the haemolymph of immature females or males. The electrophoretic mobilities, antigenicity, and proteolytic fragmentation patterns of the Vg polypeptides were indistinguishable from those of their Vn counterparts. Thus the major processing of the Vn polypeptides appears to occur prior to their secretion into the haemolymph.The synthesis of Vg was examined in whole animals and in organ cultures. Vg synthesis was observed in the fat body and to a smaller extent in the ovaries of mature females. The newly synthesized Vg was rapidly secreted. Vg synthesis was not detectable in brain or thoracic muscle of mature females or in the fat body of males or immature females. Very little vitellogenin synthesis occurred in female insects reared on artificial diets. The topical application of a juvenile hormone analogue induced Vg synthesis in non-fecund females but not in males.     

七星瓢虫成虫对烟蚜的捕食作用

对七星瓢虫CoccinellaseptempunctataL .成虫对烟蚜Myzuspersicae的捕食作用进行了定量研究。七星瓢虫成虫对烟蚜的功能反应属HollingⅡ型反应 ,拟合的圆盘方程为Na =1 .1 5 76Nt ( 1 +0 .0 0 3 48Nt) ,χ2 检验表明圆盘方程理论值与实测值相符。捕食选择试验表明在烟蚜、烟青虫Helicoverpaassaut(Guenee)卵和 1龄幼虫 3种猎物中 ,七星瓢虫成虫最喜好烟蚜。七星瓢虫成虫对自身密度的功能反应用Watt模型拟合为A =2 90 .0 3P-0 .7584,其捕食作用率与个体间相互干扰作用的关系用Hassell模型拟合为E =0 .8783 7P-0 .1 0 0 94。文中进一步就烟田中七星瓢虫的保护利用进行了讨论。     

滞育七星瓢虫的代谢适应与抗寒性评价

滞育是部分昆虫固有的适应逆境胁迫的遗传属性,七星瓢虫具有显著的滞育现象。本文以七星瓢虫雌成虫为试材,研究正常发育、滞育及滞育解除后3组处理试虫糖、脂、蛋白等关键代谢物质含量波动规律,总结滞育期间的代谢适应特点,解析其与过冷却能力的相关性,探索滞育对七星瓢虫逆境胁迫耐受力的促升效应,丰富七星瓢虫的滞育基础理论研究。利用物质干湿重差数法测定七星瓢虫的含水量;利用氯仿-甲醇(体积比为2∶1)法抽提除去自由水个体的脂肪;总糖、海藻糖、甘油、山梨醇及总蛋白的测定采用标准曲线法,利用SUN-II型智能昆虫过冷却点测定仪测定七星瓢虫的过冷却点(supercooling point,SCP)。结果表明,七星瓢虫滞育组含水量(58.11%±6.55%)显著低于正常发育组(68.49%±2.26%)和滞育解除组(65.84%±4.02%)(F=8.15,P0.01),滞育解除后含水量恢复至正常发育组水平;滞育组总糖(10.60±0.54μg/mg)、糖原(8.72±0.62μg/mg)、脂肪(173.66±19.01μg/mg)含量远远高于正常发育组和滞育解除组(F=46.57,P=0.0006;F=114.25,P0.0001;F=8.48,P0.01);滞育组总蛋白含量(49.20±3.80μg/mg)显著低于正常发育组(71.02±6.15μg/mg)和滞育解除组(69.45±4.66μg/mg)(F=46.57,P=0.0006);滞育组中海藻糖(1.31±0.27μg/mg)、甘油(1.74±0.50μg/mg)、山梨醇(9.84±3.02μg/mg)含量与正常发育组、滞育解除组无显著性差异(F=0.79,P=0.4946;F=1.33,P=0.3004;F=1.69,P=0.2387)。七星瓢虫在滞育条件下其过冷却点(-16.53℃±1.44℃)显著低于正常发育组(-14.07℃±1.33℃)和滞育解除组(-15.29℃±2.10℃)(F=13.47,P0.0001),经过滞育低温驯化后滞育解除组过冷却点较对照组有所降低。滞育诱发七星瓢虫发生显著的代谢适应,蛋白含量显著降低,抑制新陈代谢进程;糖脂含量显著升高,保障滞育维持及解除后发育的能量需求;七星瓢虫滞育属糖原积累型;滞育个体过冷却点大幅下降,耐寒性显著提升。     

Locomotory behaviour of the seven-spotted ladybird, Coccinella septempunctata, in response to five commonly used insecticides

Coccinella septempunctata is known to actively avoid substrates treated with an insecticide containing the organophosphate dimethoate. This study examines the responses of C.   septempunctata to a range of different insecticide products from three chemical classes, carbamates, organophosphates and pyrethroids. Five formulated product insecticides were compared with the active ingredients (AIs) at two different application rates and using two different spray patterns (conferring choice or no-choice designs) in a randomised block design. Coccinellids' responses differed between insecticide classes. Pyrethoid treatments significantly reduced locomotion. Organophosphates effected mixed locomotory responses, as found in previous studies. Carbamate treatments effected very few changes in locomotory activity. Similar results were found at both application rates tested and under different test designs. The results of the AI tests indicated that different components of the products were responsible for the different reactions, with the AIs being responsible for some responses but the carriers being responsible for others. Results are discussed in relation to the insecticides' modes of action and to their potential to increase the efficiency of integrated aphid control.     

The use of honeydew in foraging for aphids by larvae of the ladybird beetle, Coccinella septempunctata L. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

Abstract.  1. To clarify the use of honeydew in foraging for aphids by larvae of the ladybird beetle, Coccinella septempunctata L., searching behaviour of ladybird larvae for Aphis craccivora Koch and Acyrthosiphon pisum Harris and the abundance of honeydew under aphid colonies were examined in laboratory experiments.
2. More larvae responded by climbing the plants with aphids than responded to plants without aphids. When the plants were replaced with sticks, in order to exclude visual and olfactory cues from plants and aphids, more larvae of C. septempunctata climbed sticks above the area that contained honeydew than climbed sticks above the area that did not contain honeydew. Then, ladybird larvae use honeydew as a contact kairomone when foraging for aphids.
3.  Aphis craccivora deposited a larger number of honeydew droplets beneath the plants than did similar numbers of A. pisum. Thus, C. septempunctata larvae licked more frequently the honeydew of A. craccivora than that of A. pisum and spent longer searching on the area containing honeydew of A. craccivora than that of A. pisum . Consequently, a larger number of larvae climbed a stick above honeydew of A. craccivora than that of A. pisum.
4. It may be also considered that C. septempunctata larvae can distinguish honeydew of the two aphid species and respond more strongly to A. craccivora than A. pisum.     

十一星瓢虫对枸杞棉蚜的捕食作用研究

十一星瓢虫Coccinella undecimpunctata Linnaeus是青海省柴达木地区的一种重要捕食性天敌。为明确其对枸杞棉蚜Aphis gossypii Glover和枸杞木虱Poratrioza sinica Yang et Li.两种主要枸杞害虫的嗜好性,开展了捕食选择性试验,发现当两种害虫共存时,瓢虫成虫更喜食棉蚜。为进一步探究十一星瓢虫对枸杞棉蚜的捕食能力,测定了瓢虫各龄幼虫和成虫在不同棉蚜密度下的捕食量、寻找效应以及种内干扰、自身密度对捕食作用的影响。结果表明：十一星瓢虫各虫态对棉蚜的捕食功能反应均符合Holling-Ⅱ功能反应模型,种内干扰、自身密度对捕食量的影响分别符合Hassell干扰效应模型和Watt模型。十一星瓢虫1~4龄幼虫及成虫对枸杞棉蚜的日最大理论捕食量分别为18.94、44.29、81.57、145.27和126.48头;在一定空间、相同瓢蚜比条件下,瓢虫同一虫态个体间存在种内干扰效应,以1龄幼虫受干扰最大,干扰常数为1.1803。此外,瓢虫自身密度对其捕食作用产生一定影响,以4龄幼虫和成虫尤甚,竞争参数分别为0.7948、0.6848。本研究可为今后更高效地利用青海高原本地十一星瓢虫资源提供理论依据。     

Complete mitochondrial genome of the seven-spotted lady beetle, Coccinella septempunctata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

The complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of the seven-spotted lady beetle, Coccinella septempunctata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), which is one of the best known insects capable of predation, is described with an emphasis on the noteworthy composition of the A+T-rich region. The C. septempunctata genome consists of 2 rRNAs, 22 tRNAs, 13 protein-coding genes, and 1 control region, designated as the A+T-rich region in insects. Along with an unusually long A+T-rich region (4469 bp), the 18,965-bp long C. septempunctata mitogenome was the largest in Coleoptera. The A+T-rich region is composed of a 2214-bp long non-repeat region composed of 80.17% A/T nucleotides and a 2256-bp long repeat region composed of 65.71% A/T nucleotides. The repeat region harbors 32 identical 70-bp long tandem repeats plus one 15-bp long incomplete first repeat. These repeat sequences may possibly have been caused by slipped-strand mispairing and unequal crossing-over events during DNA replication.     

Diel rhythmicity of prey-search activity and its predominance over starvation in the lady beetle, Coccinella septempunctata bruckii

ABSTRACT. The locomotor activity of the lady beetle, Coccinella septempunctata bruckii Mulsant (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), was recorded during food deprivation in LD 16:8 h and continuous light. Activity was relatively low immediately after the lady beetle was fed to satiation but increased from 4 to 24 h later. It thereafter gradually decreased to a low level when the food was withheld for several days. Over a period of 10 days of starvation the beetles showed a high level of activity throughout the photophase and a low level during the scotophase in LD 16:8 h. In continuous light this rhythmic pattern persisted, with a free-running period of c. 22 h, significantly shorter than 24 h. The results suggest that the endogenous circadian timing predominates over 'hunger' as a determinant of search activity. The lady beetle accepted and consumed aphid prey presented at night, but the number of prey consumed was significantly lower than in the light. This suggests that, during the dark, activity related to prey-searching is suppressed, though lady beetles are able to accept and consume prey even at night.     

The effects of thirteen species of aphids on some life history parameters of the ladybird Coccinella septempunctata

The prediction of impact ofcoccinellids in an aphid infested crop dependson the food specificity of the predator. Theresponse towards thirteen species of aphids(Sternorrhyncha: Aphididae) was thereforetested in the most abundant aphidophagouscoccinellid Coccinella septempunctata L.(Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). All aphidspecies studied (Eucalipterus tiliae(L.), Tuberculatus annulatus (L.), Euceraphis betulae (L.), Cavariellakonoi Takahashi, Liosomaphis berberidis(Kaltenbach), Acyrthosiphon ignotumMordvilko, Aphis spiraephaga Müller,Aphis fabae Scopoli, Macrosiphoniella artemisiae Boyer de Fonscolombe, Capitophorus hippophaeus(Walk.), Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris),Aphis craccivora Koch, Sitobionavenae (Fabricius) were suitable foodaccording to the rate of larval development,larval mortality and adult fresh weight.Females of C. septempunctata fed with A. pisum and S. avenae laid twice as manyeggs as those fed with A. fabae and A. craccivora. These data are needed foreffective mass rearing of the studiedcoccinellid species.     

七星瓢虫、大草蛉对桃粉蚜捕食功能研究

经测定,七星瓢虫成虫、4龄幼虫和大草蛉3龄幼虫对桃粉蚜的捕食功能反应属于Holling—Ⅱ型圆盘方程式,两种天敌对桃粉蚜具有较强的捕食能力。     

Mechanism of the switchover from extensive to area-concentrated search behaviour of the ladybird beetle, Coccinella septempunctata bruckii

Area-concentrated search of predatory coccinellid adults, Coccinella septempunctata bruckii, is considered to be controlled by internal locomotory information, since the area-concentrated search is generated even if aphids are no longer present in the environment. To investigate what kind of cue elicits the switchover from extensive to area-concentrated search behaviour, the duration of area-concentrated search (giving-up time) was measured after each of the following five kinds of feeding stimuli was supplied: (a) contact with an aphid (Myzus persicae), (b) biting an aphid, (c) consumption of an aphid, (d) contact with an agar block of ca 2 × 2 × 2 mm, (e) consumption of an agar-block coated with a droplet of aphid body fluid. Switchover from extensive to area-concentrated search was observed as a response to all feeding stimuli. The cue to elicit the switchover is the contact with a prey rather than the consumption of it. The giving-up time is dependent on the intensity of feeding stimulus since giving-up time varied according to the type of feeding stimulus (d = a < b < e < c). The giving-up time was positively correlated with the duration of feeding on an aphid which represented the size of prey consumed. To test whether giving-up time is determined by the amount or by the size of prey consumed, it was measured after the ladybird beetle had fed first on a large then on a small aphid (Sequence A) and after it had fed first on a small then on a large aphid (Sequence B). Although the beetle consumed the same total amount of aphids in both sequences, the beetle showed the longer giving-up time in Sequence B than in Sequence A. Therefore, it can be concluded that giving-up time is determined by the size of prey most recently consumed rather than hunger level or prey capture rate.     

Feeding responses of adult seven-spotted ladybirds,Coccinella septempunctata (Coleoptera,Coccinellidae), to insecticide contaminated prey in laboratory arenas

The behavioural responses previously reported from Coccinella septempunctata to the organophosphate, dimethoate, have implications for the effective development of integrated pest management (IPM) strategies. Through a series of simple tests, coccinellids’ consumption rates were measured from live pesticide-resistant aphids, treated with five insecticides from three chemical classes: carbamates, organophosphates and pyrethroids. This study quantifies for the first time the doses of ingested insecticide to which C. septempunctata responds, and demonstrates that a number of insecticides can cause C. septempunctata to change its feeding behaviour. Females were confirmed to eat more than males, and responses to insecticides were observed more frequently in females. Aphid consumption was reduced most in the pyrethroid treatment groups, but choice tests found no preference for either treated or untreated prey in any group. The results are discussed in terms of the mechanism by which coccinellids detect insecticides, and the consequences for IPM.     

七星瓢虫成虫觅食行为的观察

本文研究了七星瓢虫成虫捕食麦长管蚜、洋槐蚜和绣线菊蚜的行为 ,发现其觅食行为包括 7个明显动作 ,即搜寻、捕捉、嚼食、梳理、静止、展翅和排泄。     

Condition-dependent ejaculate size and composition in a ladybird beetle

Sexually selected male ejaculate traits are expected to depend on the resource state of males. Theory predicts that males in good condition will produce larger ejaculates, but that ejaculate composition will depend on the relative production costs of ejaculate components and the risk of sperm competition experienced by low- and high-condition males. Under some conditions, when low condition leads to poorer performance in sperm competition, males in low condition may produce ejaculates with higher sperm content relative to their total ejaculate and may even transfer more sperm than high-condition males in an absolute sense. Previous studies in insects have shown that males in good condition transfer larger ejaculates or more sperm, but it has not been clear whether increased sperm content represents a shift in allocation or simply a larger ejaculate, and thus the condition dependence of ejaculate composition has been largely untested. We examined condition dependence in ejaculate by manipulating adult male condition in a ladybird beetle (Adalia bipunctata) in which males transfer three distinct ejaculate components during mating: sperm, non-sperm ejaculate retained within the female reproductive tract, and a spermatophore capsule that females eject and ingest following mating. We found that high condition males indeed transferred larger ejaculates, potentially achieved by an increased rate of ejaculate transfer, and allocated less to sperm compared with low-condition males. Low-condition males transferred ejaculates with absolutely and proportionally more sperm. This study provides the first experimental evidence for a condition-dependent shift in ejaculate composition.     

Flight potential and oxygen uptake during early dormancy in Coccinella septempunctata

Two flight parameters (take-off and duration) and respiration level were measured, in two years in summer and early autumn, in dormant Coccinella septempunctata L. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) collected while hidden in grass tussocks in hibernation sites (HID) and in beetles collected on plants (PLA). The duration of tethered flight of HID beetles measured in the laboratory in late August and September 1995 (range of geometric means 190–440 s) was slightly longer than the flight of PLA beetles (80–310 s), both being much longer than trivial flight recorded in beetles foraging for prey during the breeding season (35 s). In general, the flight performance had a tendency to increase in September and to decrease in October.The oxygen consumption in HID beetles increased throughout September 1994 from 430 to 780 l g^–1 h^–1 and throughout October 1995 from 710 to 1060 l g^–1 h^–1. This increase is ascribed to a concomitant decrease in diapause intensity. A similar increase was observed also in PLA beetles in 1994 and oxygen consumption was always higher than in HID beetles, most probably due to feeding and digestion in PLA beetles.Laboratory feeding of HID beetles on aphids induced maturation of ovaries and increased oxygen uptake (from 680 to 1110 l g^–1 h^–1). Feeding on honey and pollen left their oxygen uptake unchanged. Effect of feeding on the flight parameters was mostly not significant. In agreement with its less suitable body shape and usually less distant dormancy sites, C. septempunctata was found a less apt flier than long-distance migrating coccinellid species.     

Egg Predation by the Introduced Lady Beetle,Coccinella septempunctata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), Lowers Mortality but Raises Relative Risk for the Native Lady Beetle,Coccinella novemnotata

Populations of the native ninespotted lady beetle, Coccinella novemnotata Herbst, have undergone precipitous declines in North America following the establishment of the exotic sevenspotted lady beetle, Coccinella septempunctata L. Recent volunteer efforts have made it possible to establish colonies of the now-rare C. novemnotata and test mechanisms contributing to its decline. We evaluated the relative frequencies of intraguild predation and cannibalism of eggs between these two species. A single C. novemnotata or C. septempunctata adult was exposed to conspecific and heterospecific eggs in either the presence or absence of pea aphids. The study revealed two expected results: 1) eggs of C. novemnotata were consumed more frequently than eggs of C. septempunctata by both species, and 2) egg consumption was higher when aphids were absent, independent of predator and egg species. There were also two unexpected results from the study: 1) the asymmetry between egg predation rates was higher when aphids were present, and 2) higher predation rates on C. novemnotata eggs in the absence of alternate prey was due to a relatively higher rate of intraspecific cannibalism. This implies that C. novemnotata would have suffered higher egg mortality rates before the invasion of C. septempunctata, but even though the aggregate rate of egg predation on C. novemnotata eggs is lower post-invasion, it is still significantly higher than the aggregate rate of predation of C. septempunctata eggs. This differential pattern of asymmetric predation could contribute to habitat compression and the overall decline of C. novemnotata.