Cannibalism and Interspecific Predation in Ladybird Beetle Coccinella Septempunctata (L.) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in Laboratory

M. Rahim Khan; M. Rafique Khan; M.Y. Hussein

Cannibalism and Interspecific Predation in Ladybird Beetle Coccinella Septempunctata (L.) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in Laboratory

2003

M. Rahim Khan | M. Rafique Khan | M.Y. Hussein

The cannibalistic behaviour of various developmental stages of Coccinella septempunctata was investigated on scarcity of food and different degrees of hungerness. There was an indiscriminate egg cannibalism among the larvae and adults of their own and on the eggs of other species i.e. Menochilus sexmaculatus, Adalia bipunctata, Adonia variegata. The scarcity of food was not absolute reason for cannibalism. In both developmental stages (larvae and adult) kin recognition ability was also poorly proved. The fourth instar larvae were seemed more voracious while feeding on eggs as well on the 1<SUP>st</SUP> instar larvae as compared to other three instars. The increasing numbers of egg consumption by adults was also related to their egg production and total number of oviposition days. It is concluded that cannibalism increased the survivorship and shortened the developmental period.

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