We investigated the predatory potential and food preference of different life stages of Coccinella septempunctata L. for a nutritious aphid (mustard aphid, Lipaphis erysimi) and toxic aphid (cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae). We provided all the life stages of C. septempunctata with either L. erysimi or B. brassicae and found that the second, third and fourth instar larvae and adult females of this predator consumed daily greater numbers of L. erysimi. However, the first instar larvae and adult males consumed similar numbers of both of these aphids. In choice condition, each larva, adult males and females were each provided separately with a mixed aphid diet in three proportions (i.e. low: high, equal: equal and high: low densities of L. erysimi: B. brassicae). We hypothesized that life stages of C. septempunctata will prefer L. erysimi regardless of its proportions. Laboratory experiments supported this hypothesis only at the adult level in terms of high values of β and C preference indices. However, it rejects this hypothesis at the larval level, as larvae preferred B. brassicae when provided with certain combinations and showed no preference in a few combinations. We infer that mixtures of nutritious and toxic aphids may enable this ladybird to overcome any probable nutritional deficiency and/or reduce the toxicity of a toxic diet, especially for the larvae. Results of the treatment in which a high proportion of B. brassicae were consumed along with fewer L. erysimi indicates that a mixed diet could be better for the development of immature stages of C. septempunctata., Mushtaq A. Guroo, Ahmad Pervez, Kuldeep Srivastava, Rakesh K. Gupta., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The role of relatedness and diet in kin recognition was investigated in the aphidophagous ladybirds Propylea dissecta and Coccinella transversalis. Third instar larvae of both species exhibited kin recognition, as they were reluctant to consume related first instar larvae. They spent significantly more time prior to cannibalism when interacting with genetically related victims; this indicates the presence of a kin recognition system. Kin recognition, however, was not evident in fourth instar larvae as they ate both related and unrelated victims. This result reveals that the need of fourth instar larvae to attain a critical weight for pupation might subdue kin recognition. The diet of cannibals did not affect cannibalism, number of encounters or time that elapsed prior to cannibalism. This indicates that kin recognition is not dependent on exogenous cues derived from the diets of the cannibal and victim.