Suitability of different aphid species for the predatory flower bug Orius minutus (Heteroptera: Anthocoridae)
1994
Luettge, H. | Sell, P. (Hamburg Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Angewandte Botanik)
The green peach aphid Myzus persicae, the cotton aphid Aphis gossypii and the rose grain aphid Metopolophium dirhodum differed in their nutritive quality as alternative prey for the predatory flowerbug Orius minutus. Differences found in prey quality between species were similar but more distinct when aphids were tested on their respective host plants sweet pepper, cucumber and triticales rather than on artificial diet. Results on developmental time, weight of adults and longevity and fecundity of O. minutus revealed that M. dirhodum had the highest nutritive value followed by M. persicae and A. gossypii. The same ranking of prey quality was also obtained by measuring nymphal mortality of O. minutus. For unknown reasons the mortality of O. minutus was very high (55 percent - 87 percent) in all experiments. In choice experiments, using M. dirhodum and A. gossypii feeding on triticales, females of O. minutus killed twice as many aphids of A. gossypii as those of M. dirhodum. However, there was no difference between the aphid species in the number of aphids fed upon. A preference of A. gossypii over M. dirhodum by females of O. minutus was not seen when the two aphid species were supplied without host plant either on artificial diet or immobilized in Petri dishes. Females of O. minutus killed a higher number of aphids when prey aphids were immobilized. Possible effects of the host plant and of aphid defense on the prey-predator-relationship in O. minutus will be discussed.
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