Assessment of Predation Capability of Four Species of Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) to Green Apple Aphid, Aphis pomi De Geer (Homoptera: Aphididae)

Akhtar Ali Khan

Abstract


Experiments in laboratory conditions were performed to determine the functional response of four species of spiders, Pardosa altitudis Tikader and Malhotra (Lycosidae), Leucage celebesiana Walckenaer (Teragnathiade), Neoscona sillongensis Tikader, (Araneidae), Theridion manjithar Tikader (Theridiidae) preying on different densities of green apple aphid, Aphis pomi De Geer (Homoptera: Aphididae). All four species of spiders exhibited a type II functional response on different densities of prey as determined by a non-linear logistic regression model. The estimates of maximum prey consumption per day were 58.9 for N. sillongensis, 53.4 for P. altitudis, 40.2 for L. celebesiana, and 34.5 for T. manjithar at highest density of green apple aphids (320 aphids). The search rates and handling time were estimated as 3.073 h-1 and 0.393 h for P. altitudis, 3.032 h-1 and 0.553 h for L. celebesiana, 3.043 h-1 and 0.362 h for N. sillongensis, 2.970 h-1 and 0.575 h for T. manjithar, respectively. Estimates of handling times of T. manjithar and L. celebesiana were significantly greater than those of N. sillongensis and P. altitudis and however, coefficient of search rate, didn’t vary significantly in most of the treatments. Among all predator species, N. sillongensis and P. altitudis were more capable against green apple aphids as compared to L. celebesiana and T. manjithar. N. sillongensis was found to be the most potent predator as it possessed the high search rate with lowest handling time.

Keywords


Biological Control; Search Rate; Predation Capability; . Handling Time; . Functional Response

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