The influence of nutritional history on the functional response of Geocoris pallidipennis to its prey, Myzus persicae. Issue 6 (December 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Liu, F.; Zeng, F.
• Is Part Of: Bulletin of entomological research. Volume 104:Issue 6(2014)
• Page Start: 702
• Page End: 706
• Publication Date: 2014-12
• Subjects: Entomology -- Periodicals; 595.7
• DOI: 10.1017/S0007485314000509
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0007-4853

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="normal"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>Insect artificial diets are the foundation for mass production of insect predators. Whether there is an influence of long-term rearing with artificial diet on the control ability of predators should be considered. Here, we focused on the effect of nutritional history on the functional response of <italic>Geocoris pallidipennis</italic> to <italic>Myzus persicae</italic>. The influence of nutritional history (artificial diet versus natural prey, <italic>M. persicae</italic>) on the functional response of third to fifth instar nymphs and female <italic>G. pallidipennis</italic> was examined in the laboratory. The results showed that the functional response curve of both the nymphs and the adult female of <italic>G. pallidipennis</italic> to <italic>M. persicae</italic> reflected similar trends on both nutritional histories and confirmed the type II response. Adult female <italic>G. pallidipennis</italic> reared on either <italic>M. persicae</italic> or artificial diet produced a significantly better performance than the juvenile stages tested. We estimated that adult female <italic>G. pallidipennis</italic> can consume 141.6 (artificial diet) or 131.6 (<italic>M. persicae</italic>) aphids per day, respectively. This indicated that <italic>G. pallidipennis</italic> reared on both artificial diet and <italic>M. persicae</italic> displayed high rates of predation.</p> </abstract>