This study reports seasonal presence of Coccinella septempunctata L. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in Southeast Turkey, in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Samples were collected from crops in agricultural areas at altitudes of 10 m, 800 m and 1400 m from stands of wild herbaceous plants , and at 1750 m from stone debris fields. First C. septempunctata adults were collected at the beginning of June at Tentcamp (800 m) and Tozlu (1400 m), early in July at Sarikiz (1700 m) when the mean air temperature reached 30°C. Adults became active in spring, after aestivating around Sarikiz and overwintering there under snow. First adults emerged on 2nd April in 2009 around Edremit Gulf when mean air temperature reached 14.8°C. Adult and immature stages of C. septempunctata were recorded attacking aphid populations till the end of June. C. septempunctata was present there for only one period each year during which they completed one generation. Adult individuals of this generation returned to Mount Ida to aestivate. Maximum numbers of adults present on Mount Ida in the first week of August in 2009 and 2010 were recorded. C. septempunctata adults aestivate and overwinter at Sarikiz on Mount Ida after completing their development on aphids in April, May and June around Edremit Gulf., Ali Özpinar, Ali Kürşat Şahin, Burak Polat., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Our goal has been to determine the effect of the presence of aphids on voracity (measured as number of prey eaten and biomass consumed) of Coccinella septempunctata L. and Harmonia axyridis Pallas (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) feeding upon the oblique-banded leafroller, Choristoneura rosaceana (Harris) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). For each coccinellid predator, treatments using a single prey species, with either 30 first instar C. rosaceana or 100 third instars Aphis pomi DeGeer (Hemiptera: Aphididae), were compared with two-prey treatments in which the two prey species were present simultaneously. For both predators, the total number of prey killed (total prey species pooled) and the total biomass consumed were significantly higher when both prey were present than in single-prey treatments. The voracity of C. septempunctata on C. rosaceana larvae was not affected by adding A. pomi, whereas that of H. axyridis declined; the voracity of both predators on A. pomi increased when C. rosaceana larvae were added. The preference for the aphids over C. rosaceana was confirmed for both coccinellid species.
Reflex bleeding is one of the many anti-predation behavioural tactics used by insects. This behaviour is recorded widely in several insect taxa and provides scientists with an interesting opportunity for easily obtaining samples of haemolymph for physiological experiments. However, there is no good evidence that haemolymph and reflex blood have the same characteristics. In this study, we compared three basic characteristics of reflex blood and haemolymph collected from the body cavity, of three species of ladybirds: Harmonia axyridis, Coccinella septempunctata and Ceratomegilla undecimnotata. In the reflex blood we recorded the same concentration of haemocytes and total protein, and level of antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli as in samples of haemolymph collected from within the body cavity. Therefore, reflex blood is a promising source of haemolymph for use in many physiological and immunological studies. It is the best way of collecting haemolymph if one wants to avoid challenging the immune system and concurrently also enables one to repeatedly collect haemolymph from one individual without injuring it, which would initiate repair mechanisms. The interspecific comparison indicates significant differences among the species studied in three characteristics measured. Interestingly, the native species Ceratomegilla undecimnotata has nearly as effective immune system as the invasive Harmonia axyridis based on the level of antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli.
Choice tests showed that tracks left by coccinellid larvae have generally little effect on oviposition site selection by chrysopid females. Fresh tracks of first instar larvae of the coccinellid species Coccinella septempunctata, Cycloneda limbifer, Leis dimidiata and Semiadalia undecimnotata, did not deter females of the chrysopid Chrysopa oculata from laying eggs. Females of Chrysopa perla avoided ovipositing only on substrates with tracks of L. dimidiata larvae.
During a three year study in rapeseed-mustard crop, the response of two ladybird species, Coccinella septempunctata and Menochilus sexmaculatus was dependent upon density and time of appearance of their prey. Mustard aphid, Lipaphis erysimi appeared during the second (2000 and 2001) and last (2002) week of January. Aphid appearance was highly dependent on the phenological stage of the host plant. It appeared earlier in rapeseed, Brassica campestris var. BSH-1 than mustard, Brassica juncea var. RH-30. The ladybird beetle's eggs were observed in the last week of January, 4-5 weeks before the maximum aphid population. A correlation between aphid number and the abundance of ladybirds' life stages (egg, larva and beetle) on these host plants revealed that the egg and larval density was positively correlated to aphid numbers. Adult beetles, however, did not show significant positive correlation with aphid numbers during all the three years of study. Coccinella septempunctata was more abundant than Menochilus sexmaculatus in these crops. Menochilus sexmaculatus population disappeared earlier than Coccinella septempunctata which was abundant until end of the crop season.
Although there are few studies of the sexual life of coccinellids these phenomena have attracted the interest of isolated groups of coccinellidologists. Probably the most important finding is that at least some coccinellid species (Adalia bipunctata and Harmonia axyridis) do not mate at random with the females prefering certain males. This phenomenon was first observed in Adalia bipunctata by Lusis and then studied in detail by Majerus, O'Donald, de Jong and others. In Japan, Harmonia axyridis was similarly studied by Osawa and Ueno. While the former author found that in this species (as in A. bipunctata) the colour of the elytra is most important in mate choice by females, the latter stresses that size and activity are important. Sperm competition is another interesting phenomenon, most often the sperm of the last male fertilizes the eggs (Ueno, Katakura). Obata and Hidaka have contributed in an important way to elucidating the function of the spermatophore in mating. The studies by Hodek and Ceryngier recorded the maturation and regression of testicular follicles and the relation of mating activity to diapause in four coccinellid species. In contrast to females, where induction of diapause prevents maturation of ovaries, in diapausing males the tissue of testicular follicles remains active until the temperatures decrease in late autumn. Dissection of spermathecae revealed principal difference in autumn mating activity between Coccinella septempunctata, in which 40-60% of the beetles mated before hibernation and Ceratomegilla (syn. Semiadalia) undecimnotata, which does not mate in autumn.
A range of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques, 1H liquid spectroscopy and T1 and T2 relaxation measurements, and microimaging, have been used to observe changes taking place within the bodies of live samples of Coccinella septempunctata, under a variety of conditions. NMR measurements showed that various organs could be seen and identified. It also showed that by changing the diet of the ladybird from aphids [Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris)] to a standard artificial diet, major changes took place in the insects' tissues. By using a combination of all three techniques it was concluded that on changing the diet of C. septempunctata a mass of nutrient was built up within the insect's abdomen possibly in the same manner as happens before diapause. Changes in the response to NMR measurements were also seen after infection of C. septempunctata by the parasitoid wasp (Dinocampus coccinellae). Most significantly an image of the parasitoid larva could be seen within the body mass of the ladybird. It was concluded that NMR could become a major tool in the non-destructive study of insects not just as a means of studying anatomy but also to observe changes in the nature of body tissue.
We tested the laboratory susceptibility of four endemic and two exotic species of North American Coccinellidae to a single rate (2.5 × 105 conidia/ml) of Beauveria bassiana derived from different sources. The endemic species Olla v-nigrum, Cycloneda munda and Hippodamia convergens were susceptible to B. bassiana Isolate B which was originally isolated from O. v-nigrum and the rate assayed was known to represent the LC50 against O. v-nigrum. However, neither the endemic C. maculata nor the exotic species Harmonia axyridis and Coccinella septempunctata were susceptible to this isolate at this rate. Additionally, all species of endemic and exotic Coccinellidae used in these assays were resistant to B. bassiana strain GHA and BbAR1 at that rate. We discuss the implications of these results in regard to the establishment of exotic species in new habitats.
The ladybird Coccinella magnifica is typically considered to be myrmecophilous, and primarily associated with the Formica rufa group of wood ants. It is regularly associated with ants of the F. rufa group in north-western Europe. The very limited data on the habitat preference of C. magnifica in the southern and eastern parts of its range indicate that its ant-associations change and that it may even be non-myrmecophilous in this region. C. magnifica might consist of geographically restricted species or semispecies, on the basis of its geographical variation in ant-association. Laboratory and field observations on north-western myrmecophilous populations C. magnifica appear to indicate it is a generalist predator of aphids. Coccinella magnifica's potential dietary breadth is similar to that of its congener Coccinella septempunctata, which has been used as a model of C. magnifica's non-myrmecophilous ancestor in evolutionary studies.
The coccinellid Harmonia axyridis is a recent arrival in the UK and is an intraguild predator of the entomopathogenic fungus Pandora neoaphidis. Harmonia axyridis entirely consumes P. neoaphidis-sporulating cadavers and this may have a negative effect on the epizootic potential of P. neoaphidis. Here we assessed within plant transmission, and between plant vectoring, of P. neoaphidis in the presence of either H. axyridis or Coccinella septempunctata, a native coccinellid that only partially consumes fungal cadavers. Transmission was greater in the presence of coccinellids, with 21% of aphids becoming infected with the fungus whilst only 4% were infected in the control. However, there was no significant effect of coccinellid species or sex on fungal transmission. Between plant vectoring occurred infrequently in the presence of both species of coccinellid. The effect of H. axyridis on P. neoaphidis transmission is, therefore, likely to be similar to that of the native coccinellid C. septempunctata. and Patricia M. WELLS, Jason BAVERSTOCK, Michael E.N. MAJERUS, Francis M. JIGGINS, Helen E. ROY, Judith K. PELL.