Olfactory response of the ladybird beetle stethorus gilvifrons to two preys and herbivore-induced plant volatiles

Date

2009-07

Authors

Susurluk, Hilal

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Springer

Abstract

The spider mites Tetranychus urticae Koch and Panonychus ulmi (Koch) (Tetranychidae) cause severe economic losses to vegetable farms and deciduous fruit orchards in Turkey. One of their predators, the ladybird beetle Stethorus gilvifrons (Muls.) (Col., Coccinellidae), aggregates on mite-infested patches of plants. The present study assessed whether there is a role for herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) and/or odors emitted directly from these two mite species in the aggregative response of ladybird beetles. The olfactory responses of the predator females to volatiles from T. urticae- and/or P. ulmi-infested sweet pepper (four cultivars, viz. 'Demre', 'Yalova Carliston', 'Kandil Dolma' and 'Yag Biberi'), kidney bean (cv. 'Barbunya') and apple (M9 rootstock) were investigated using a two-choice olfactometer. Our results showed that HIPVs emitted from both T. urticae- and P. ulmi-infested plants significantly attracted S. gilvifrons adults for all plants except the sweet pepper cv. Yag Biberi. In addition, it was found that volatiles from apple plants infested by T. urticae and, especially, P. ulmi are more attractive for S. gilvifrons females than those emitted by other infested plants. The results also suggest that the odors of T. urticae adults and their products might influence the attraction of S. gilvifrons females.

Description

Keywords

HIPVs, Panonychus ulmi, Tetranychus urticae, Y-tube olfactometer, Infested pear trees, Tetranychus-urticae, Phytoseiulus-persimilis, Spider-mites, Predatory mites, Acari, Attraction, Resistance, Involvement, Location, Agriculture, Plant sciences, Entomology, Acari, Araneae, Capsicum annuum var. annuum, Coccinellidae, Coleoptera, Malus x domestica, Panonychus ulmi, Phaseolus vulgaris, Stethorus, Tetranychidae, Tetranychus urticae

Citation

Gençer, N. S. vd. (2009). "Olfactory response of the ladybird beetle stethorus gilvifrons to two preys and herbivore-induced plant volatiles". Phytoparasitica, 37(3), 217-224.