Nocturnal predators are often overlooked in biological control studies, despite evidence that they can make important contributions to insect pest suppression in agroecosystems. Many sampling methods are only employed during the daytime hours due to limitations of time and labour. Additionally, different sampling methods can provide contrasting information about natural enemy community composit...

The influence of prey choice on the predation of a target prey item by a polyphagous insect predator was investigated in field plot studies. The target prey consisted of eggs of the Colorado potato beetle (CPB), Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), and the predator was the 12spotted ladybeetle, Coleomegilla maculata Lengi (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Eggs of the European c...

The cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii, is one of the most biologically diverse species of aphids; a polyphagous species in a family where most are host specialists. It is economically important and belongs to a group of closely related species that has challenged aphid taxonomy. The research presented here seeks to clarify the taxonomic relationships and status of species within the Aphid gossypii g...

abstract the syrphidae family with almost 6000 described species, 15 tribes and 3 subfamilies is one of the largest families of diptera. they known as hoverflies or flowerflies. the larvae of subfamily syrphinae are considered the specialized aphidophagous predators play an important role in the reduction of aphid populations in agroecosystems. almost all the adult syrphids feed on pollen or ne...

functional response, as describing the rates of predation in different prey density, and determining the predator efficiency, is important in the regulation of prey populations. the functional response of male and female adult of lady beetle, hippodamia variegata, was studied at different densities of green peach aphid under laboratory conditions on canola brassica napus l. (cv. rgs003). nymphs...

1. Most trophic interaction theory assumes that all predators are an abstract form of risk to which prey respond in a quantitatively similar manner. This conceptualization can be problematic because recent empirical work demonstrates that variation in the responses of prey to different predators can play a key role in structuring communities and regulating ecosystem function. 2. Predator identi...