Feeding rates of natural enemies on the sugarcane aphid, Melanaphis sacchari (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

• In Event: Poster Presentation and Judging for: Anthropology; Botany; Conservation Ecology; Environmental Science; Freshwater Science; Geosciences; Mathematics & Computer Science; Neuroscience; Physics & Eng; Science Education; Terrestrial Ecology & Management.
  In Poster Session: Terrestrial Ecology Poster Session

Abstract

The sugarcane aphid, Melanaphis sacchari (Zehntner) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is an invasive pest that was first found in the continental United States in 1977; it is now found in 17 states and over 400 counties in the United States. It has become a key economic pest of grain sorghum. Current management of this pest is through the use of insecticides, which not only kill the aphid but natural enemies as well. Although the sugarcane aphid was introduced without its natural complement of enemies, there are native natural enemies present in sorghum including several species of lady beetles. We examined the feeding rates of five species of lady beetle adults and larvae on the sugarcane aphid using “no choice” tests. Individual coccinellids were exposed to a low or high density of sugarcane aphids and allowed to forage for 24 hours. Each coccinellid species readily consumed sugarcane aphids during the 24 hour period. Coleomegilla maculata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) larvae consumed the highest number of aphids/cm2 leaf area. Future research will examine the preference of lady beetles to the sugarcane aphid using choice tests as well as the effects of M. sacchari feeding has on the life history characteristics of natural enemies.

Authors

• Laura Weiser Erlandson, Texas A&M University - Central Texas

• Brad Burden, Texas A&M University - Central Texas

• Kaitlyn Liane Clark, Texas A&M University - Central Texas