Occurrence of the exotic predatory ladybird Platynaspidius maculosus (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in citrus groves in Shizuoka City, Central Japan: seasonal prevalence of adults captured on sticky traps

Abstract

Platynaspidius maculosus (Weise, 1910) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is a ladybird beetle that preys on aphids and is distributed in China, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Recently, P. maculosus has invaded the southern parts of Japan; it was recorded on Okinawa Island in 1998, in Kagoshima Prefecture in 2006, and in Fukuoka Prefecture in 2010. In citrus groves in Shizuoka City, Central Japan in 2009–2012, the exotic ladybird was monitored by use of yellow sticky traps set inside citrus tree canopies. Adults of P. maculosus were captured in three out of the eight groves in 2010. This capture might be the first record of the ladybird from Honshu Island. Adults were trapped in three consecutive years, 2010–2012, in two groves; this suggests the possibility that the ladybird has become established in Shizuoka City. Adults were almost continuously caught on the traps from late April through October, being more abundant in early autumn (early September to early October), late spring (late April to mid-June), and mid-summer (early July to early August). During these periods, citrus shoots are growing and aphids are abundant. This finding suggests that the exotic ladybird might prey on citrus-infesting aphids, thereby reproducing in citrus groves. Based on the results obtained, potential impacts of the exotic ladybird on native aphidophagous ladybirds are also discussed.