Development and survivorship of a predatory lady beetle, Coccinella novemnotata, on various aphid diets

摘要

Ex situ rearing of Coccinella novemnotata Herbst (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), a Nearctic native that has declined precipitously, may be important for experimentation and conservation. Rearing success may depend on optimizing an aphid prey diet. The objective was to compare development, survivorship and adult size of C. novemnotata reared on diets of various aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae) species. Diets of Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris) and A. pisum + Rhopalosiphum padi L. were most suitable for rearing C. novemnotata. Single species diets of other aphids had low suitability for C. novemnotata. Combining A. pisum with one of the other aphid species improved diet suitability compared to diets of other species alone. Knowledge of C. novemnotata development and survival on various aphid species may not only aid in ex situ rearing, but could also be used to identify habitats where C. novemnotata may be extant or those with suitable prey for reestablishment or augmentation of C. novemnotata.