Laboratory and field tests of predation on the cereal leaf beetle, Oulema melanopus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Issue 5 (4th May 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kheirodin, Arash; Costamagna, Alejandro C.; Cárcamo, Héctor A.
• Is Part Of: Biocontrol science and technology. Volume 29:Issue 5(2019)
• Page Start: 451
• Page End: 465
• Publication Date: 2019-05-04
• Subjects: Biological control -- egg predation -- lady beetles -- alternative prey -- carabid beetles; Pests -- Biological control -- Periodicals; Weeds -- Biological control -- Periodicals; Pesticides -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Plants, Protection of -- Periodicals; Plants -- Biological control -- Periodicals; Agricultural pests -- Control -- Periodicals; Pest Control, Biological -- Periodicals; 632.96
• DOI: 10.1080/09583157.2019.1566437
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0958-3157

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The cereal leaf beetle (CLB), Oulema melanopus (L.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is an invasive pest in North America recently reported in the Canadian Prairies. We performed a series of laboratory assays to identify potential predators and a field study to quantify predation of CLB eggs. In no-choice Petri dish assays, ground beetles (Carabidae), rove beetles (Staphylinidae), and several common lady beetle species (Coccinellidae) were the most consistent predators of eggs and larvae. Nabis spp. (Hemiptera: Nabidae) and wolf spiders (Araneae: Lycosidae) consumed many larvae, but did not consume eggs. Hippodamia spp., Coccinella septempunctata (L.) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), and Pterostichus melanarius (Illiger) (Coleoptera: Carabidae) also fed on CLB eggs on potted plants when an alternative food source was available, Sitobion avenae (Fabricius) (Hemiptera: Aphididae). In our field study, we found an average of 24.5% of sentinel eggs disappeared over a 24 h period, likely due to predation. Our results suggest that generalist predators can play an important role in the biological control of CLB, and warrant further study.