Does a Change from Whole to Powdered Food (Artemia franciscana eggs) Increase Oviposition in the Ladybird Coleomegilla maculata?
The limited availability of alternative foods to replace natural prey hinders cost-effective mass production of ladybird beetles for augmentative biological control. We compared the effects of powdered vs. whole Artemia franciscana (A. franciscana) (brine shrimp) eggs with or without a dietary sup...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2015-09-01
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| Series: | Insects |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/6/4/815 |
| _version_ | 1818241982275780608 |
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| author | Eric W. Riddick Zhixin Wu |
| author_facet | Eric W. Riddick Zhixin Wu |
| author_sort | Eric W. Riddick |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The limited availability of alternative foods to replace natural prey hinders cost-effective mass production of ladybird beetles for augmentative biological control. We compared the effects of powdered vs. whole Artemia franciscana (A. franciscana) (brine shrimp) eggs with or without a dietary supplement on development and reproduction of Coleomegilla maculata (C. maculata) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). We tested the hypotheses that (1) powdered A. franciscana eggs are more suitable than whole eggs; and (2) palmitic acid, a common fatty acid in natural prey, i.e., aphids, is an effective dietary supplement. Development time, pre-imaginal survival, sex ratio, and body weight of adults did not differ significantly amongst individuals fed powdered vs. whole eggs, with or without 5% palmitic acid. Significantly more oviposition occurred when females were fed powdered eggs than whole eggs and powdered eggs with 5% palmitic acid than whole eggs with or without 5% palmitic acid. A weak functional relationship was found between pre-oviposition time and total oviposition by females fed powdered eggs with 5% palmitic acid; pre-oviposition time decreased as oviposition increased. Food treatments had no significant differential effect on progeny (egg) hatch rate. In conclusion, a simple change in A. franciscana egg texture and particle size (i.e., blending whole eggs into a dust-like powder) increases oviposition in C. maculata. Supplementing powdered eggs with 5% palmitic acid might accelerate oogenesis (egg maturation) in some females. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T13:37:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-926a48192bd842d5b279d9b0799b06ce |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4450 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T13:37:59Z |
| publishDate | 2015-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Insects |
| spelling | doaj.art-926a48192bd842d5b279d9b0799b06ce2022-12-22T00:22:53ZengMDPI AGInsects2075-44502015-09-016481582610.3390/insects6040815insects6040815Does a Change from Whole to Powdered Food (Artemia franciscana eggs) Increase Oviposition in the Ladybird Coleomegilla maculata?Eric W. Riddick0Zhixin Wu1National Biological Control Laboratory, Jamie Whitten Delta States Research Center, ARS-USDA, Stoneville, MS 38776, USANational Biological Control Laboratory, Jamie Whitten Delta States Research Center, ARS-USDA, Stoneville, MS 38776, USAThe limited availability of alternative foods to replace natural prey hinders cost-effective mass production of ladybird beetles for augmentative biological control. We compared the effects of powdered vs. whole Artemia franciscana (A. franciscana) (brine shrimp) eggs with or without a dietary supplement on development and reproduction of Coleomegilla maculata (C. maculata) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). We tested the hypotheses that (1) powdered A. franciscana eggs are more suitable than whole eggs; and (2) palmitic acid, a common fatty acid in natural prey, i.e., aphids, is an effective dietary supplement. Development time, pre-imaginal survival, sex ratio, and body weight of adults did not differ significantly amongst individuals fed powdered vs. whole eggs, with or without 5% palmitic acid. Significantly more oviposition occurred when females were fed powdered eggs than whole eggs and powdered eggs with 5% palmitic acid than whole eggs with or without 5% palmitic acid. A weak functional relationship was found between pre-oviposition time and total oviposition by females fed powdered eggs with 5% palmitic acid; pre-oviposition time decreased as oviposition increased. Food treatments had no significant differential effect on progeny (egg) hatch rate. In conclusion, a simple change in A. franciscana egg texture and particle size (i.e., blending whole eggs into a dust-like powder) increases oviposition in C. maculata. Supplementing powdered eggs with 5% palmitic acid might accelerate oogenesis (egg maturation) in some females.http://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/6/4/815ArtemiidaeCoccinellidaebiological controllady beetlelipidspredator |
| spellingShingle | Eric W. Riddick Zhixin Wu Does a Change from Whole to Powdered Food (Artemia franciscana eggs) Increase Oviposition in the Ladybird Coleomegilla maculata? Insects Artemiidae Coccinellidae biological control lady beetle lipids predator |
| title | Does a Change from Whole to Powdered Food (Artemia franciscana eggs) Increase Oviposition in the Ladybird Coleomegilla maculata? |
| title_full | Does a Change from Whole to Powdered Food (Artemia franciscana eggs) Increase Oviposition in the Ladybird Coleomegilla maculata? |
| title_fullStr | Does a Change from Whole to Powdered Food (Artemia franciscana eggs) Increase Oviposition in the Ladybird Coleomegilla maculata? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Does a Change from Whole to Powdered Food (Artemia franciscana eggs) Increase Oviposition in the Ladybird Coleomegilla maculata? |
| title_short | Does a Change from Whole to Powdered Food (Artemia franciscana eggs) Increase Oviposition in the Ladybird Coleomegilla maculata? |
| title_sort | does a change from whole to powdered food artemia franciscana eggs increase oviposition in the ladybird coleomegilla maculata |
| topic | Artemiidae Coccinellidae biological control lady beetle lipids predator |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/6/4/815 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ericwriddick doesachangefromwholetopowderedfoodartemiafranciscanaeggsincreaseovipositionintheladybirdcoleomegillamaculata AT zhixinwu doesachangefromwholetopowderedfoodartemiafranciscanaeggsincreaseovipositionintheladybirdcoleomegillamaculata |