Functional response of Oenopia conglobata contaminate (Col.: Coccinellidae) feeding on pomegranate green aphid, Aphis punicae (Hem.: Aphididae)

Document Type : Research paper-Persian

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Pomegranate green aphid, Aphis punicae Pass. is a common pest of pomegranate trees. In this study, the functional response of different age stages (third and fourth larval instars, adult females, male and female 10-days old) of coccinellid predator O. conglobata contaminata (Menetries) was studied to different densities of third and fourth nymphal instars of pomegranate green aphid as prey (at 25 and 27.5°C, 65±5% RH, and 16:8 L: D photoperiod). Densities of 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 100, and 128 third and fourth nymphal instars of pomegranate green aphid for third and fourth larval instars and densities 8, 16, 32, 64, 100 and 128 for adult females and adult males and females were used and the average feeding at any density was recorded after 24h. Type of functional response was determined using logistic regression and the searching efficiency (a) and handling time (Th) were estimated by nonlinear regression. Type of the functional response at 25 and 27.5oC at all age stages of the predator was type II, and only at 25oC and for the fourth, the response was type III. The Maximum value of the searching efficiency was 0.127 h-1 at 25°C for adult females and the less handling time in this temperature was 0.338h for the fourth larval instar. At 27.5°C, the maximum value of searching efficiency was 0.119 h-1 for the fourth larval instar and the less handling time was 0.275 h related to adult females.

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