Suitability of spider mites and green peach aphids as prey for Eriopis connexa (Germar) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 12; no. 1; p. 8029
• Main Authors: de Matos, Sidnéia Terezinha Soares, Savi, Patrice Jacob, Melville, Cirano Cruz, dos Santos Cividanes, Terezinha Monteiro, Cividanes, Francisco Jorge, de Andrade, Daniel Júnior
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 16-05-2022; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 631/158/2456; 631/601; 631/601/1466; Agricultural ecosystems; Animals; Aphids; Arthropods; Coleoptera; Elgiva connexa; Fecundity; Female; Females; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humidity; Insects; Laboratories; Life Tables; Mites; multidisciplinary; Oviposition; Pest Control, Biological; Population; Predatory Behavior; Prey; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Soybeans; Species; Tetranychidae
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12078-8

The ladybird
Eriopis connexa
is an important natural enemy of several pest arthropods in agroecosystems. High population of this predator is frequently observed in strawberry and soybean crops associated with spider mites. We used two-sex life table parameters to evaluate under laboratory conditions, the suitability of three species of spider mites (
Tetranychus evansi
,
Tetranychus urticae
,
Tetranychus ogmophallos
), and a species of aphid (
Myzus persicae
) as a prey for the predator
E. connexa
.
Eriopis connexa
completed immature development on all prey species except on
T. evansi
, in which all individuals of predator died before reaching the pupal stage. Among prey species that allowed the immature development of
E. connexa
,
T. urticae
and
M. persicae
provided a faster development time to the predator. Oviposition days, longevity and fecundity of
E. connexa
on
T. urticae
and
M. persicae
were substantially longer/higher than on
T. ogmophallos
. Net reproductive rate (
R
0
), intrinsic rate of increase (
r
), and finite rate of increase (
λ
) of
E. connexa
feeding on
T. urticae
and
M. persicae
were also higher than those on
T. ogmophallos
. Based on the overall performance of the ladybird, the order of suitability of prey species was
M. persicae
 > 
T. urticae
 > 
T. ogmophallos
 > 
T. evansi
.