We examined patch residence times for an omnivorous predator, Dicyphus hesperus on a variety of plants and prey. Individual D. hesperus were placed in cages containing either mullein, tomato, pepper or chrysanthemum plants, and either no prey, Mediterranean flour moth eggs, greenhouse whitefly pupae or two-spotted spider mite adults. Patch residence times were typically greater than 24 h. The probability of remaining on the patch was greatest on mullein and tomato, followed by chrysanthemum and least on pepper, whereas probability of remaining on the patch was greatest when flour moth eggs were present, and least when no prey were available. Patch residence time in D. hesperus was determined by both the prey, and the species of plant, in an independent fashion. Our results reinforce the notion that for omnivores, the patch itself is as important as the prey that it harbors.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This research could not have been conducted without the assistance of D. Quiring, M. Miller, A. Laycock and L. Eckersley. We thank Applied Bionomics Ltd. (Sidney, BC) for providing the whitefly pupae used in experiments. This research was supported in part by the Biocontrol Network of the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council, the BC Greenhouse Vegetable Growers Association, Koppert Canada, University of Windsor, Simon Fraser University and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
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VanLaerhoven, S.L., Gillespie, D.R. & Roitberg, B.D. Patch Retention Time in an Omnivore, Dicyphus hesperus is Dependent on Both Host Plant and Prey Type. J Insect Behav 19, 613–621 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-006-9047-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-006-9047-y