Acta Entomologica Sinica ›› 2022, Vol. 65 ›› Issue (10): 1324-1333.doi: 10.16380/j.kcxb.2022.10.009

• RESEARCH PAPERS • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Predatory capability of Mallada basalis (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) larvae on the eggs and early instar larvae of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

SHI Lin-Lin1, LI Zi-Yuan1, LIN Dan-Min1, LU Yong-Yue1,*, CHEN Ke-Wei1,2,*#br#   

  1.  (1. College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; 2. Key Laboratory of Bio-Pesticide Innovation and Application, Guangdong Province, Guangzhou 510642, China)
  • Online:2022-10-20 Published:2022-11-27

Abstract:  【Aim】 To evaluate the predatory capability and biological control potential of the native natural enemy Mallada basalis on the eggs and early instar larvae of the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda invading China. 【Methods】 The predatory capabilities of the 2nd and 3rd instar larvae of M. basalis on the eggs, the 1st and 2nd instar larvae of S. frugiperda were evaluated by using functional response models under laboratory conditions. 【Results】 The numbers of eggs and larvae of S. frugiperda consumed by M. basalis larvae increased and saturated as the prey density increased, while the predation rate of M. basalis larvae decreased with the increase of prey density. M. basalis larvae exhibited a type Ⅱ functional response to different developmental stages of S. frugiperda. For the 2nd instar larvae of M. basalis, their instantaneous attack rates a on the eggs, and the 1st and 2nd instar larvae of S. frugiperda were 0.150, 0.084 and 0.094, the handling time Th was 0.282, 0.333 and 0.519 h, and the theoretical daily maximum predation T/Th was 85106, 72072 and 46242, respectively. For the 3rd instar larvae of M. basalis, their instantaneous attack rates on the eggs, and the 1st and 2nd instar larvae of S. frugiperda were 2.018, 0.288 and 0.259, the handling time was 0.102, 0.311 and 0.375 h, and the theoretical daily maximum predation was 235294, 77.170 and 64.000, respectively. 【Conclusion】 Both the 2nd and 3rd instar larvae of M. basalis exhibit strong predatory capability on the eggs and early instar larvae of S. frugiperda, and the 3rd instar larvae of M. basalis show higher predation efficiency than the 2nd instar larvae.

Key words: Mallada basalis, Spodoptera frugiperda, predation, functional response, biological control