Intraguild predation among the aphidophagous ladybird beetles Harmonia axyridis PALLAS and Coccinella undecimpunctata L. (Coleoptera: Coccinelidae) : characterization of the direction and symmetry

Proceedings of the 8th International Symposium on Ecology of Aphidophaga: Biology, Ecology and Behaviour of Aphidophagous Insects.Direction and symmetry of intraguild predation (IGP) between all developmental stages of the aphidophagous Harmonia axyridis Pallas and Coccinella undecimpunctata L. were characterized. Our results revealed that H. axyridis predation level was significantly higher than C. undecimpunctata and eggs were the more vulnerable developmental stage. Significantly asymmetric IGP on eggs occurred after the second and fourth larval stages of H. axyridis and C.undecimpunctata, respectively. Asymmetric IGP on pupas exclusively occurred in the presence of the fourth larval stage of H. axyridis

Influence of prey quality on the reproductive capacity of two phenotypes of Harmonia axyridis PALLAS (Coleoptera: Coccinelidae).

Proceedings of the 8th International Symposium on Ecology of Aphidophaga : Biology, Ecology and Behaviour of Aphidophagous Insects, Ponta Delgada 1-6 September 2002.H. axyridis is a highly polymorphic ladybird beetle with a wide geographical distribution in the palearctic region. Genetic polymorphism seems to be the strategy adopted in order to face different habitats at different times. In this paper we suggest that a genotype that confers a specific elytral pattern may also confer a particular reproductive capacity when fed on single diets of essential preys such as A. fabae or M. persicae. We discuss KOMAI & HOSINO (1951) hypothesis, which predicts that the differences in the relative frequency of elytral pattern phenotypes in relation to the host plants in a same habitat could be related with specific composition of aphid populations. Our results revealed that A. fabae significantly increased reproductive capacity of nigra phenotype without affecting reproductive capacity of aulica phenotype

Voracity of Coccinella undecimpunctata: effects of insecticides when foraging in a prey/plant system

Copyright © Springer-Verlag 2011.Coccinella undecimpunctata L. is a euryphagous predator established in Azores that offers interesting potential as a control agent in the context of integrated pest management (IPM). However, to further develop IPM against aphids, it is important to evaluate the effects that insecticides might have on voracity. Thus, we proposed to evaluate the effects of pirimicarb and pymetrozine on the voracity of 4th instar larvae and adults of C. undecimpunctata, under distinct scenarios of exposure to chemicals within a prey/plant system. Voracity of C. undecimpunctata was not significantly affected by pirimicarb or pymetrozine when treatments were directly sprayed on the predator; however, when insecticides were sprayed on the prey/plant system, the predator’s voracity was significantly increased. Results suggest that C. undecimpunctata does not detect the insecticide on the aphids and indicate that the increase in voracity may be due to a decrease in the mobility of insecticide-treated aphids, since their capture should be easier than highly mobile non-treated prey. The consequences of such increase in the voracity for IPM programs are discussed

Algumas pragas nos pomares de citrinos da Ilha do Pico (Açores).

VI Expedição Científica do Departamento de Biologia - Pico 1991.Observação de pragas em 3 pomares de citrinos da Ilha do Pico a fim de actualizar a lista de espécies nocivas anteriormente conhecida. Foram observadas 10 espécies pertencentes a 7 famílias; Diaspididae, Coccidae, Margarodidae, Aleyrodidae, Aphididae, Tetranychidae e Tenuipalpidae

Approch to the knowledge of Coccinellidade (Coleoptera) species diversity of Madeira and Porto Santo Islands.

Proceedings of the 8th International Symposium on Ecology of Aphidophaga: Biology, Ecology and Behaviour of Aphidophagous Insects.We present a list of coccinellids collected in Madeira archipelago and notice the presence of two new species; of Scymnini; Scymnus (Scymnus) abietis (Paykull) and Nephus hiekei Fürsch. We analyse the distribution and abundance at the community level, using the following measures: species richness index, abundance and relative abundance, similarity index, diversity, and evenness. 13 species from 3 families were recorded. Hippodamia variegata was the most abundant one with 29.7 % of the 141 specimens collected. Two main groups of relative abundance were identified. The first group included the 6 most common H. variegata, S. interruptus, C. arcuatus, C. septempunctata, S. levaillanti and R. litura and the second one included S. abietis, L. lophante and R. chrysomeloides. Diversity index values are relatively high. The 6 most common species comprised more than 90 % of the individuals without a very different relative abundance. Many factors other than extinction and immigration could explain the variation of the number of species on islands. The highest number of species collected in Madeira island, compared to Porto Santo, could be related with its higher elevation, soil and substrate types, plant species richness, number of habitat, habitats diversity, structure and heterogeneity of the former

Algumas pragas de citrinos da Ilha de S. Jorge (Açores).

VII Expedição Científica do Departamento de Biologia - São Jorge e Topo - 1992.Durante a Expedição Científica "S. Jorge e Topo/92", realizada em Junho-Julho de 1992, foram colhidas amostras de árvores de citrinos para observação da entomofauna e acarofauna nocivas a esta cultura. Foram identificadas 14 espécies pertencentes a 9 famílias. As famílias Diaspididae, Coccidae e Aphididae, são aquelas que apresentam maior riqueza especifica, representando cerca de 60% do total

New data on armoured scale insects (Hemiptera, Coccoidea, Diaspididae) from the Azores Islands

This short communication presents new records of four species of armoured scale insects (Diaspididae) which were recently collected from the Azores Islands. Two of these species, indicated below by an asterisk, are here reported for the first time from these islands. Voucher specimens of these records are deposited in the Coccoidea Collection of the first author

Distribution and genetic variability of Staphylinidae across a gradient of anthropogenically influenced insular landscapes

This paper describes the distribution and genetic variability of rove beetles (Coleoptera Staphylinidae) in anthropogenically influenced insular landscapes. The study was conducted in the Azores archipelago, characterized by high anthropogenic influence and landscape fragmentation. Collections were made in five islands, from eight habitats, along a gradient of anthropogenic influence. The species of Staphylinidae from the Azores collected for this study were widely distributed and showed low habitat fidelity. Rove beetle richness was associated with anthropogenic influence and habitat type, increasing from less to more anthropogenic impacted habitats. However, genetic diversity of profiled species (i.e. with three or more specimens per species/habitat) does not seem affected by anthropogenic influence in the different habitat types, isolation or landscape fragmentation. COI haplotypes were, as a rule, not exclusive to a given island or habitat. High level of genetic divergence and nucleotide saturation was found in closely related morphological designated species, demonstrating possible disparities between currently defined taxonomic units based on morphology and molecular phylogenies of Staphylinidae. This study found evidence of cryptic speciation in the Atheta fungi (Gravenhorst) species complex which had thus far remained undetected. Similar trends were found for Oligota parva Kraatz, Oxytelus sculptus Gravenhorst, Oligota pumilio Kiesenwetter. Previous studies with lower taxonomical resolution may have underestimated the biotic diversity reported in the Azores in comparison to other Macaronesian archipelagos.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Insectos e ácaros fitófagos presentes em pomares de citrinos da Ilha Terceira (Açores).

IX Expedição Científica do Departamento de Biologia - Terceira 1994.Com a presente lista de insectos e ácaros fitófagos, elaborada na sequência da Expedição Científica Terceira/94, em Junho-Julho de 1994, foi possível acrescentar comunidade dos agroecossistemas citrícolas da ilha Terceira várias espécies. Esta lista é discutida sob o ponto de vista da distribuição das espécies noutras ilhas e ainda da sua importância económica em Portugal Continental. Foram observadas 20 espécies repartidas por 12 famílias: 9 para os insectos e 3 para os ácaros. 0s Homópteros contem 65% da riqueza específica