Biological and biochemical characteristics for quality control of Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae) reared on a liver‐based diet

Abstract

Biological and biochemical parameters of a flightless strain of Harmonia axyridis, fed on a pork liver-based artificial diet and on Ephestia kuehniella eggs as controls, were compared. The diet-grown larvae showed a significantly longer developmental time and a lower adult emergence rate compared to control larvae. The weights of the newly emerged adults were significantly higher for adults fed E. kuehniella eggs during their larval stages than fed the artificial diet. In contrast, larval food source had no effect on the duration of the pre-oviposition period or adult longevity. For adults fed on E. kuehniella eggs as larvae, a significantly longer pre-oviposition period, lower daily weight gain and fecundity were found for the diet-fed females compared to those fed on E. kuehniella eggs throughout the life span. The adult food source had no significant effect on longevity and fertility. Lower amino acid and fatty acid contents (in particular C16:1 and C18:3n-3) were found for the prepupae and newly emerged females obtained from diet-reared larvae compared to controls. Deficiencies in fatty acids C16:1 and C18:3n-3 were also observed in females obtained from E. kuehniella egg-reared larvae and fed on diet from adult emergence. The analyses of the foods showed deficiencies in artificial diet, especially for some amino and fatty acids. The results suggest a non-optimal composition of the artificial diet and some possibilities for its improvement. However, this polyphagous predator could be reared from first instar larvae to fully reproductive adults on a pork liver-based artificial diet.

Food Relationships

“…5.25 ). Sighinolfi et al (2008) used pork liver mixed with oils, sucrose, glycerine, yeast extract and vitamins, to rear Har. axyridis from egg to reproductive maturity, but immature development was delayed and adult emergence rate, weight, and fecundity reduced, compared to rearing on Ephestia kuehniella eggs.…”

“…These differences refl ect the sterols obtained from a plant versus insect diet, and can guide efforts to include sterols in artifi cial diets. Sighinolfi et al (2008) characterized the amino acid and fatty acid content in Har. axyridis prepupae and adults and of their food, when the predators were reared on either a pork -based artifi cial diet (see above) or eggs of E. kuehniella .…”

Development and reproduction of Adalia bipunctata on factitious and artificial foods

“…Artificial diets tested for H. axyridis contained mostly chicken or pork liver (Hongo and Obayashi 1997;Dong et al 2001;Sighinolfi et al 2008) and whole hen's eggs or egg yolk (Dong et al 2001). Artificial diets with meat products as the main component have also been developed for other predatory coccinellids, including Hippodamia convergens Guérin-Méneville (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) (Smith 1966;Racioppi et al 1981) and Coleomegilla maculata De Geer (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) (Atallah and Newsom 1966).…”

Trophic induction of diapause in native and invasive populations of Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

“…However, most of the experiments on this subject are qualitative: females were either starved or provided ad libitum with different diets (e.g. Evans et al, 2004;Evans & Gunther, 2005;Osawa, 2005;Sighinolfi et al, 2008;Kögel et al, 2012;Zhang et al, 2012). Quantitative studies have usually been on the correlation between the number of prey consumed and the rate of maturation or the number of eggs laid and thus near-zero diets have not been tested (Sharmila et al, 2009;Omkar et al, 2010;Shah & Khan, 2014).…”