Abstract
The pink hibiscus mealybug Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) is a major pest of economically important crops. The apefly Spalgis epius (Westwood) (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) is a potential predator of various species of mealybugs. Studies of its preying potential and preference for prey stages on M. hirsutus are incomplete. An investigation was undertaken to determine the daily prey consumption and preference for prey stages by different larval instars of S. epius reared on M. hirsutus in the laboratory. During the 8-day larval development period with four larval instars of S. epius, the daily prey consumption increased from the first to the seventh day and decreased on the eighth day prior to the prepupal stage. Generally, there was a significant difference in the prey consumption on different days. The 1st to 4th instar larvae of S. epius consumed, respectively, a mean of 181.3, 679.1, 1770.4 and 4333.0 eggs or 19.1, 67.7, 153.0 and 639.0 nymphs or 2.72, 6.26, 13.8 and 32.1 adults of M. hirsutus. When an S. epius larva was fed on M. hirsutus eggs, nymphs and adults separately, it consumed a mean of 6952.6 eggs, 878.8 nymphs or 53.9 adults during its entire development. A single larva of S. epius consumed 2358.3 eggs, 151.2 nymphs and 34.3 adults of M. hirsutus during its entire development when the prey stages were offered all together. The study revealed that S. epius is a voracious predator of M. hirsutus and thus could be utilized as a potential biological control agent.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ali, M. (1978). A report on the wax scales, on Ceroplastes pseudoceriferus Green, and Chloropulvinaria polygonata (Ckll.) (Homoptera: Coccidae) on mango and their natural enemies. Bangladesh Journal of Zoology, 6, 69–70.
Anon. (1995). Technology for production of natural enemies. Bangalore, India: Project Directorate of Biological Control, Indian Council of Agricultural Research.
Bingham, C. T. (1907). The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma. Butterflies. London, UK: Taylor and Francis.
Browning, H. W. (1992). Overview of biological control of homopterous pests in the Caribbean. The Florida Entomologist, 75, 440–446.
Chacko, M. J., Bhat, P. K., & Ramanarayan, E. P. (1977). New records of coccoidea with notes on natural enemies of Planococcus spp. on coffee in India. Journal of Coffee Research, 7, 69–71.
De Niceville, L. (1890). The butterflies of India, Burma and Ceylon. Calcutta, India: Calcutta Central Press Co. Ltd.
Dinesh, A. S., Venkatesha, M. G., & Ramakrishna, S. (2010). Development, life history characteristics and behaviour of mealybug predator, Spalgis epius (Westwood) (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) on Planococcus citri (Risso) (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae). Journal of Pest Science, 83, 339–345.
Franco, J. C., Gross, S., Carvalho, C. J., Blumberg, D., & Mendel, Z. (2001). The citrus mealybug in citrus groves in Israel, Portugal and California: fruit injury and biological control as related to seasonal activity. Phytoparasitica, 29, 86.
Gowda, D. K. S., Manjunath, D., Datta, R. K., & Kumar, P. (1996). Spalgis epius Westwood (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) a potential predator of mulberry mealybug, Maconellicoccus hirsutus. Insect Environment, 2, 87–88.
Hoy, M. A., Hamon, A., & Nguyen, R. (2002). Pink hibiscus mealybug, Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green). Resource document. Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu. Accessed 17 November 2009.
Kairo, M. T. K., Poolard, G. V., Pterkin, D. D., & Lopez, V. F. (2000). Biological control of the hibiscus mealybug, Maconellicoccus hirsutus Green (Hemiptera: Psedococcidae) in the Caribbean. Integrated Pest Management Reviews, 5, 241–254.
Le Pelley, R. H. (1943). An oriental mealybug (Pseudococcus lilacinus) and its natural enemies. Transactions of Royal Entomological Society London, 93, 73–93.
Le Pelley, R. H. (1968). Pests of coffee. London, UK: Longmans Green and Co. Ltd.
Lohman, D. J., & Samarita, V. U. (2009). The biology of carnivorous butterfly larvae (Lepidoptera: Miletinae: Miletini) and their ant-tended hemipteran prey in Thailand and the Philippines. Journal of Natural History, 43, 569–581.
Mani, M., & Thontadarya, T. S. (1987). Development and feeding potential of coccinellid predator Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mul. on the grape mealybug, Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green). Journal of Biological Control, 1, 19–22.
Mani, M., & Krishnamoorthy, A. (1996). Biological suppression of oriental mealybug, Planococcus lilacinus (Ckll.) on ber. Pest Management and Horticulture Ecosystem, 2, 49–50.
Meyerdirk, D. E., Warkentin, R., Attavian, B., Gersabeck, E., Francis, A., Adams, J., et al. (2002). Biological control of pink hibiscus mealybug project manual. Washington, DC: United States Department of Agriculture.
Oncuer, C., & Bayhan, N. (1982). An investigation into the feeding capacity of Cryptolaemus montrouzieri. Turkiye Bitki Koruma Dergesi, 6, 85–90.
Pierce, N. E., Braby, M. F., Heath, A., Lohman, D. J., Mathew, J., Rand, D. B., et al. (2002). The ecology and evolution of ant association in the Lycaenidae (Lepidoptera). Annual Review of Entomology, 47, 733–771.
Pushpaveni, G., Rao, P. R. M., & Rao, P. A. (1973). A new record of Spalgis epius Westwood as a predator of Maconellicoccus hirsutus Gr. on mesta (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.). Indian Journal of Entomology, 32, 71.
Rahiman, A. P., & Vijayalakshmi, C. K. (1998). Spalgius epius Westwood (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae)—a potential predator of coffee mealy bugs. Journal of Entomological Research, 22, 191–192.
Rao, V. P., Ghani, M. A., Sankaran, T., & Mature, K. C. (1971). A review of the biological control of insects and other pests in South-East Asia and the Pacific region. Farnham Royal, UK: Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux.
Reddy, G. V. P., Muniappan, R., Cruz, Z. T., Naz, F., Bamba, J. P., & Tenorio, J. (2009). Present status of Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) in the Mariana Islands and its control by two fortuitously introduced natural enemies. Journal of Economic Entomology, 102, 1431–1439.
Roltsch, W. J., Meyerdirk, D. E., Warkentin, R., Andress, E. R., & Carrera, K. (2006). Classical biological control of pink hibiscus mealybug, Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green), in southern California. Biological Control, 37, 155–166.
SPSS Inc. (2001). SPSS for windows, Rel. 11.0.0. Chicago, IL, USA: SPSS Inc.
Thangamalar, A., Subramaian, S., & Mahalingam, C. A. (2010). Bionomics of papaya mealybug, Paracoccus marginatus and its predator Spalgius epius in mulberry ecosystem. Karnataka Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 23, 39–41.
Venkatesha, M. G. (2005). Why is homopterophagous butterfly, Spalgis epius (Westwood) (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) amyrmecophilous? Current Science, 89, 245–246.
Venkatesha, M. G., Shashikumar, L., & Gayathri Devi, S. S. (2004). Protective devices of the carnivorous butterfly, Spalgis epius (Westwood) (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae). Current Science, 87, 571–572.
Vinod Kumar, P. K., Vasudev, V., Seetharama, H. G., Irulandi, S., & Sreedharan, K. (2006). Biology and biometry of the lycaenid predator Spalgis epius. Journal of Coffee Research, 34, 72–104.
Vinod Kumar, P. K., Vasudev, V., Seetharama, H. G., Irulandi, S., & Sreedharan, K. (2008a). Attendant ants and activity of Spalgis epius. Journal of Coffee Research, 36, 38–45.
Vinod Kumar, P. K., Vasudev, V., Seetharama, H. G., Irulandi, S., & Sreedharan, K. (2008b). Predatory potential of the lycaenid Spalgis epius. Journal of Coffee Research, 36, 25–29.
Whitecomb, W. D. (1940). Biological control of mealybugs in green houses. Bulletin of Massachusetts Agriculture Experiment Station, 375, 22.
Acknowledgements
The second author is grateful to the University Grants Commission (UGC), New Delhi, India for providing financial assistance (No. F. No. 33-344/2007) to carry out the above work.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Dinesh, A.S., Venkatesha, M.G. Prey consumption by the mealybug predator Spalgis epius on pink hibiscus mealybug (Maconellicoccus hirsutus). Phytoparasitica 39, 11–17 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12600-010-0130-8
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12600-010-0130-8