Abstract
We observed the movement of predatory larvae of the syrphid flyEupeodes corollae (F.) (formerlyMetasyrphus corollae) among small pea plants with and without aphids. Starved larvae spent longer time than well-fed larvae on similar plants and both groups of larvae stayed longer on plants with aphids than on plants without aphids. On plants with aphids, larvae which failed to capture prey left the plant sooner than those which captured aphids. The capture of at least one aphid on a plant increased the persistence of syrphid larvae. The average rate of energy gain was higher for well-fed larvae than for starved larvae because starved larvac stayed on plants even when their rate of return was lower. When larvae that had captured aphids left plants, their rate of energy gain, tended to be lower than at any time following capture of the 2nd, aphid. The 1st aphid was captured in less time than similar larvae spent on plants without aphids. Time between captures of aphids by well-fed larvae was less than the time such larvae spent on plants without aphids. Among starved larvae, the intercatch intervals were similar to the time on plants without aphids. We discuss the significance of these results relative to current predator foraging theory and the efficiency ofE. corollae as a biological control agent.
Résumé
Nous avons observé les déplacements des larves prédatrices du syrpheEupeodes corollae (F.) sur des plantes de pois infestés ou non de pucerons. Les larves affamées ont passé plus de temps, sur les plants que les larves bien nourries. Les 2 groupes de larves sont restés plus longtemps sur les plants avec pucerons que sur les plants qui en étainet dépourvus. Sur les plants infestés de pucerons, les larves incapables d'en capturer quittèrent le plant plus tôt que les larves qui réussirent. La capture d'au moins un puceron sur un plant, augmentait la persistance des larves prédatrices. Le taux moyen de gain énergétique était plus élevé pour les larves bien nourries parce que pour les affamées celles-ci restaient sur les plants même si leur succès de capture était peu élevé. Lorsque les larves qui avaient capturé des pucerons quittaient les plants, leur taux de gain énergétique avait tendance à être plus bas qu'après la capture d'un deuxième puceron. Le temps nécessaire à la capture du 1er puceron était plus court que celui passé par ces larves sur un plant dépourvu de pucerons. Le temps écoulé entre les captures de pucerons par les larves bien nourries était plus court que celui passé par ces mêmes larves sur des plants dépourvus de pucerons. Chez les larves affamées, le temps écoulé entre les captures était semblable à celui passé sur les plants dépourvus de pucerons. Nous avons examiné la portée de ces résultats en rapport avec la théorie courante de recherche de nourriture chez les prédateurs, et avec l'efficacité deE. corollae en tant qu'agent de lutte biologique.
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Scott, S.M., Barlow, C.A. Effect of hunger on the allocation of time among pea plants by the larvae of an aphidophagous hover fly,Eupeodes corollae [Dipt: Syrphidae] . Entomophaga 35, 163–172 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02374790
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02374790