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Crude aqueous‐extract (kairomone) from Aphis fabae Scop. (Hom., Aphidae) and its effect on the behaviour of the predator Metasyrphus corollae Fabr. (Dipt., Syrphidae) female
Author(s) -
Shonouda M. L.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
journal of applied entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.795
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1439-0418
pISSN - 0931-2048
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-0418.1996.tb01640.x
Subject(s) - biology , predator , aphid , aphis , kairomone , aphididae , botany , horticulture , biological pest control , predation , homoptera , pest analysis , ecology
Female Metasyrphus corollae Fabr., a syrphid predator on the bean aphid Aphis fabae Scop., responded to aqueous extract containing kairomones of the prey. The crude aphid‐extract was topically dropped onto clean leaves of Vicia faba. After application of aqueous‐extract at different aphid densities on the clean leaves, the predator showed variations in oviposition and searching behaviours in comparison with untreated leaves (control). The variations are summarized as follows: (1) the aqueous‐extract of aphids stimulate M. corollae females to lay eggs at all aphid densities. The number of eggs were directly proportional with aphid concentrations; (2) the predator M. corrolae female intensified its searching behaviour by increasing the total path length walked; (3) the number of turns exhibited is significantly higher as compared with those of control; and (4) the retention time spent by M. corollae females with treated plant is much more than that with clean plant at all aphid densities. The present results showed that the aphid aqueous‐extract contains the active ingredients (kairomones) which induce a considerable change in the searching pattern and increase the oviposition rate of the predator syrphid females.