Predatory behaviour and feeding potential of Paederus fuscipes
2003
Devi, P.K. | Yadav, D.N. | Jha, A.(Gujarat Agricultural University, Anand (India). Biological Control Laboratories)
Paederus fuscipes Curtis, commonly known as skirt and blouse beetle, is an important predator found associated with many crop pests throughout the world. Both grubs and adults of P. fuscipes are predatory in nature. After citing the prey, the predator was observed to grab it by inserting its mandibles and devour it within seconds.Cannibalism, necrophagy and fluid feeding habit were also observed. Grubs of P. fuscipes consumed on an average 159.2 egg of Corcyra cephalonica and 181.4 nymphs of Aphis gossypii to become adult. The results further revealed that the adult of P. fuscipes consumed on an average 33.0 and 39.6 eggs of Heliothis armigera and Earias vittella, respectively. The mean consumption of P. fuscipes adult with respect to neonate larvae of H. armigera, E. vittella and Spodoptera litura was 39.1, 41.0 and 40.3 per day , respectively. As many as twenty-two different species of prey were predated upon by the predator when offered in the laboratory. However, periodical observations revealed the predation of eleven species under field conditions. Considering this it is worth trying its role in pest suppression in different crop eco-systems.
显示更多 [+] 显示较少 [-]