Abstract
Coccinellid beetles are widely recognized biological control agents and are voracious feeder of cereal aphids. Aphid predation
by Coccinellid predators is quite imperative for long-term regulation of their population in agricultural crops. The factual role
of natural enemies in biological control depends on their capability to devour large number of pests. Therefore, this study was
aimed to determine predatory potential of selected Coccinellid beetles in the laboratory as well as to ascertain their hierarchy
in aphid preference. On account of that per day feeding efficacy of four Coccinellid species, Coccinella septempunctata,
Coccinella sexmaculata, Coccinella transversalis and Hippodamia variegata as well as their larval instars were determined on
aphid species Myzus persicae, Rhopalosiphum padi, Schizaphis graminum, and Sitobion avenae in order to elucidate their
efficiency in choice and no choice feeding assays. Coccinella sexmaculata was found to be the most efficient predatory species
followed by H. variegata, C. septempunctata and C. transversalis against aphids. Aphids M. persicae and S. avenae were
preferred diet for adult and larvae of C. septempunctata as compared to M. persicae and R. padi for C. transversalis. Maximum
consumption per day of adult as well as larval instars of C. sexmaculata was observed for S. graminum. Adults of H. variegata
fed more on S. avenae while grubs fed more on S. graminum. M. persicae was found to be the potential host for all predatory
Coccinellids. Highly significant variations (P<0.001) were observed for per day feeding efficacy of all selected predators and
their larvae. Coccinellid predators appeared to have substantial capacity to consume aphids that evinced their ability as viable
control agents of aphids.
Nazia Ehsan, Naureen Rana, Muhammad Asghar, Muhammad Yaseen, Muhammad Afzal . (2020) EX-SITU PREDATION POTENTIAL OF APHIDOPHAGOUS COCCINELLIDS, Pakistan Journal of Agricultural Sciences, Volume 57, Issue 5.
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