Coleomegilla maculata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) Predation on Pea Aphids Promoted by Proximity to Dandelions

The impact of a predator on its prey may depend on the presence of other species in the community. In particular, if predators are attracted to areas containing one prey species, another prey species may suffer greater predation if it occurs in the same areas. If the predator is omnivorous, this may...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Oecologia 2000-12, Vol.125 (4), p.543-548
Main Authors: Harmon, J. P., Ives, A. R., J. E. Losey, Olson, A. C., K. S. Rauwald
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acyrthosiphon pisum
Alfalfa
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Animals
Aphididae
Beetles
Biological and medical sciences
Biological control
Coccinellidae
Coleomegilla maculata
Community Ecology
Control
Demecology
Ecological competition
Ecology
Foraging
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Medicago sativa
Peas
Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection
Pollen
Predators
Protozoa. Invertebrata
Protozoa. Invertebrates
Species
Synecology
Taraxacum officinale
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Summary:The impact of a predator on its prey may depend on the presence of other species in the community. In particular, if predators are attracted to areas containing one prey species, another prey species may suffer greater predation if it occurs in the same areas. If the predator is omnivorous, this may occur even if one prey species is an animal and the other is a plant. We investigated the role of local dandelion densities on the impact of the predator Coleomegilla maculata on pea aphids in alfalfa fields. At small spatial scales, increased dandelion densities were associated with high C. maculata densities, presumably because these omnivorous ladybird beetles aggregated to pollen resources. In turn, the high C. maculata densities were associated with low aphid densities, presumably because of increased predation. We used laboratory cages to simulate C. maculata foraging in two adjacent patches of alfalfa, one with dandelions and one without. As in the field, the laboratory experiment showed that C. maculata aggregated to alfalfa interspersed with dandelions, which resulted in increased predation on aphids on alfalfa. This study demonstrates that a pollen-producing plant can indirectly decreae nearby herbivore densities by attracting an omnivorous predator.
ISSN:0029-8549
1432-1939
DOI:10.1007/s004420000476