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- Title
Quantification of consumption of corn pollen by the predatorColeomegilla maculata(Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) during anthesis in an Illinois cornfield.
- Authors
Lundgren, Jonathan G.; Huber, Alison; Wiedenmann, Robert N.
- Abstract
1 Coleomegilla maculataDeGeer feeds on corn pollen in the field, but the degree to which this predator relies on corn pollen as part of its diet is not well understood. We quantified the amount of pollen consumed byC. maculatasecond, third and fourth instars and adults in the field.2 Laboratory experiments were conducted to determine the digestion rate and duration of different stadia or stages using temperature regimens that reflected field conditions during anthesis.Coleomegilla maculatalarvae and adults were collected from the field and the amount of pollen in their digestive tracts was determined gravimetrically. The rate of digestion, duration of each life stage and the field observations were used to estimate the amount of pollen consumed by second, third and fourth instars and adults.3 Our models estimate that larvae consume 0.66, 1.67 and 3.30 mg of pollen during the second, third and fourth stadia, respectively. Adults consumed an estimated 13.15 mg during anthesis.4 The relevance of our results to ecological risk assessment of transgenic insecticidal corn and predator life history strategies is discussed. The results presented here are a first attempt to quantify pollen consumption by a predator, and future areas of research are suggested.
- Subjects
POLLEN; CORN; POLLINATION; BEETLES; LADYBUGS; INSECTS
- Publication
Agricultural & Forest Entomology, 2005, Vol 7, Issue 1, p53
- ISSN
1461-9555
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/j.1461-9555.2005.00246.x