Effects of Aphid Density and Plant Taxa on Predatory Ladybeetle Abundance at Field and Landscape Scales

Abstract

In agroecosystems, predatory ladybeetles play an important role in restraining aphid population growth and suppressing aphid populations. They can adapt to various habitats and make use of various aphid species associated with multiple host plants during their life cycle. Agricultural landscapes in China are composed of a mosaic of small fields with a diverse range of crops, and how ladybeetles make use of host plant diversity in such landscapes has rarely been documented. In this study, we examined the relationship between aphid densities and ladybeetle densities in two different settings: (i) on the majority of plant species (including crops, trees, and weeds) at a local field scale in 2013 and 2014, and (ii) in paired cotton and maize crop fields at a regional landscape scale in 2013. Overall, we found that aphid abundance determined predatory ladybeetle abundance at both the local field and landscape scales, and there was a positive correlation between aphid densities and ladybeetle densities. However, plant taxa had no significant influence on the predatory ladybeetle abundance at the local field scale. In addition, the effect of aphids on ladybeetles abundance was influenced by the crop type and growing season at the regional landscape scale. There was a significant positive correlation between aphids and ladybeetles populations on cotton only in July and August, whereas the correlation was significant for maize throughout the whole growing season. We also conducted an analysis of the stable carbon isotope ratios of the adult ladybeetles caught in cotton and maize fields (C3 and C4 crops, respectively) in a regional landscape-scale survey in 2013. The δ13Cvalue indicated that most prey aphids for ladybeetles originated from crops where aphids are abundant (cotton in June and July; both maize and cotton in August).These findings improved our understanding of the migration and dispersal of ladybeetles among different habitats and plant species and provided insight into the promotion of the regional conservation and pest control of natural enemies in northern China.

When Does the Prey/Predator Ratio Work for the Effective Biocontrol of Cotton Aphid on Cotton Seedlings?

“…In practice, the population of cotton aphid is regulated by multiple factors, such as alternating temperature, extreme temperature, and the composition of natural enemies [ 43 ]. Furthermore, other agricultural practices also regulate the population dynamics of aphids including insecticide use, plant diversity, and landscape change with the seasons in the field [ 44 ]. Therefore, the ratio of prey to predator required to provide effective biocontrol may be dynamic around our estimated value in the context of landscape changes and global warming.…”

The ecological significance of arthropod vectors of plant, animal, and human pathogens

“…The well-known plant-aphid-ladybug interaction is illustrative, where reduction in aphid biomass can have significant bottom-up effects on predatory ladybugs, not only at a field scale but also at the landscape level [28]. Likewise, leafhoppers, including several key vector species like Macrosteles quadrilineatus and Graminella nigrifrons, can represent a significant part of the endangered lesser prairie chicken diet.…”

“…In particular, we have added at lines 140-144 vector species like Macrosteles quadrilineatus and Graminella nigrifrons, can represent a significant part of the diet of the endangered lesser prairie chicken. Elimination of these abundant vector species, which are indicators of grassland habitat health, may have unintended consequences to its predators and destabilize the foodweb dynamic[28] .With ref 28 : Rowe and Holland (2013) High Plant Richness in Prairie Reconstructions SupportDiverse Leafhopper Communities. Restoration Ecology However, we have not been able to find references that support the sentence about the importance of leafhopper as a food resource for the lesser prairie chicken.…”

At Which Spatial Scale Does Crop Diversity Enhance Natural Enemy Populations and Pest Control? An Experiment in a Mosaic Cropping System

“…The main natural enemies of aphids (and also most used biocontrol agents) are ladybirds and parasitoids [66][67][68]. Ladybirds have a diverse diet, preying upon diverse prey (although preferring aphids) [69][70][71][72] but also using plant resources [73,74]. Hence, this functional group could typically be enhanced by crop diversity.…”