Survival and development of immature Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) feeding on Chaitophorus populeti (Panzer) propagated on transgenic Populus alba × P. glandulosa

摘要

Laboratory feeding experiments with the poplar aphid, Chaitophorus populeti (Panzer), feeding on transgenic poplar (P. alba × P. glandulosa) varieties C13-5 and C013-5, were carried out to study the effect of transgenic poplar on the ladybird Harmonia axyridis (Pallas). The mortality and development time of the immature stages, the eclosion rate and body mass of H. axyridis were measured. The results indicated that C. populeti feeding on different varieties of transgenic plants had no statistically significant effect on the mortality of H. axyridis larvae. The development time of larval and pupal stages were not significantly different between the two transgenic poplars and a non-transgenic poplar. Furthermore, the body mass and eclosion rate did not show any difference between the H. axyridis feeding on aphids reared on transgenic plants and those from non-transgenic plants. It is suggested that transgenic plants have no deleterious effect on the predatory ladybird.