Abstract
From May to July 1982 and 1983, coccinellids were sampled in habitats that differed in aphid density, insolation, and host plant type. The number of adults ofCoccinella 7-punctata (CS),C. 5-punctata (CQ),Propylea 14-punctata (PQ),Adonia variegata (AV),Adalia bipunctata (AB),A. 10-punctata (AD), andCalvia 14-guttata (CA) were recorded. AB, AV and CS preferred high, while CQ tolerated low aphid density. CQ, CS, AB and AV preferred sunny, while AD and CA tolerated shaded conditions. CS and AV preferred herbaceous plants, AD and CA large plants, particularly trees, AB showed little specialization, CQ preferred trees early in the season and sparse herbaceous plants later. PQ appeared to be a generalist with a wide tolerance of all these factors, but with a tendency to move from trees to herbaceous plants as the season progressed. Habitats with a high abundance of a species were assumed to be those with on optimum combination of the preferred conditions. There were slight differences in the breadth of habitat preferences, and a little habitat overlap between species. The tendency to aggregate was greater in AB than in other species. Annual variations in species abundance influenced the number of habitats occupied, but not the abundance in the favoured places.
Résumé
En 1982 et 1983, de mai à juillet, on a procédé à des échantillonnages de Coccinelles dans des habitats différents par la densité d'aphides d'insolation et le type de plante-hôte. On enregistra le nombre d'adultes deCoccinella 7-punctata (CS),C. 5-punctata (CQ),Propylea 14-punctata (PQ),Adonia variegata (AV),Adalia bipunctata (AB),A. 10-punctata (AD) etCalvia 14-guttata (CA). AB, AV et CS préféraient une forte densité de pucerons, tandis que CQ en tôlérait une faible. CQ, CS, AB et AV préféraient les conditions ensoleillées, tandis que AD et CA tôléraient les ombragées. CS et AV préféraient les plantes herbacées, AD et CA les plantes volumineuses, particulièrement les arbres, AB manifestait une faible spécialisation, CQ préférait les arbres en début de saison et les plantes herbacées clairsemées plus tard. PQ apparaissait comme étant un généraliste largement tolérant vis-à-vis de tous ces facteurs, mais ayant tendance à migrer des arbres vers les plantes herbacées au fur et à mesure que la saison s'avance. Les habitats qui hébergent le plus grand nombre d'individus d'une espèce semblent correspondre à la combinaison optimale des conditions préférées par cette espèce. Mais l'ampleur des préférences d'habitat est faible et un petit habitat peut être partagé entre plusieurs espèces. La tendance à l'agrégation était plus grande chez AB que chez les autres espèces. Les variations annuelles de l'abondance des espèces influençaient le nombre d'habitats occupés, mais non l'abondance des espèces au sein des habitats favorables.
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Honěk, A. Habitat preferences of aphidophagous coccinellids [Coleoptera]. Entomophaga 30, 253–264 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02372226
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02372226