Searching efficiency of the lady beetleCoccinella septempunctata larvae in uniform and patchy environments |
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| Authors: | Yasuaki Murakami Yoshitaka Tsubaki |
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| Affiliation: | (1) Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, 812 Fukuoka, Japan;(2) Laboratory of Applied Entomology and Nematology, Faculty of Agriculture, Nagoya University, 464 Nagoya, Japan;(3) Present address: Laboratory of Biology, Faculty of Education, Shiga University, 520 Otsu, Japan |
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| Abstract: | Experiments were conducted on the searching behavior and searching efficiency of the lady beetleCoccinella septempunctata bruckii Mulsant under conditions of various prey distributions and prey densities. The larvae changed their searching behavior before and after feeding. Before feeding the larvae moved quickly and the searching paths were nearly linear. But after feeding the speed decreased and turning angle increased. The speed and turning angle reverted gradually and recovered the initial pattern 95 s after feeding. The searching efficiency differed depending on the prey distribution. At low prey density, searching was most efficient when prey were distributed uniformly. But at middle and high prey densities, searching was most efficient when prey items were highly aggregated. The observed searching behavior of 4th instarC. septempunctata larvae was likely to be optimal considering the natural distribution of colonies of their prey, aphids. |
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