Journal of
Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 July 2018 | 10(8): 12133–12136
Intraguild predation of green lacewing larvae (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) on spider eggs and
spiderlings
K.K. Srikumar
1, S. Smitha 2, B. Suresh Kumar
3 & B. Radhakrishnan
4
1–4 UPASI Tea Research Foundation, Nirar Dam (P.O.), Valparai,
Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 642127, India
1 Present
address: PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper, AAA R & D, RAPP Ltd., Pangalan Kerinci 28312, Indonesia
1 sreeku08@gmail.com (corresponding author), 2 smitazoology@gmail.com, 3 bsksuresh999@gmail.com, 4 dr.radhaupasi@gmail.com
doi: http://doi.org/10.11609/jott.2555.10.8.12133–12136
Editor: K. Rajmohana,
Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, India. Date of publication: 26 July 2018
(online & print)
Manuscript details: Ms
# 2555 | Received 02 January 2017 | Final received 05 July 2018 | Finally
accepted 10 July 2018
Citation: Srikumar, K.K., S. Smitha, B.S. Kumar & B. Radhakrishnan (2018).
Intraguild predation of green lacewing larvae (Neuroptera:
Chrysopidae) on spider eggs and spiderlings. Journal
of Threatened Taxa 10(8): 12133–12136; http://doi.org/10.11609/jott.2555.10.8.12133–12136
Copyright: © Srikumar et al. 2018.
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
JoTT allows unrestricted use of this article in any
medium, reproduction and distribution by providing adequate credit to the
authors and the source of publication.
Funding: UPASI Tea Research Foundation.
Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.
Acknowledgements: The authors
are thankful to UPASI Tea Research Foundation for providing financial
assistance.
Tea, Camellia sinensis L. (O. Kuntze) plantation provides habitats for
thousands of insect species including pests and their natural enemies like
parasitoids and predators. The immense
value of predators in pest suppression has been well understood by
entomologists and there is a renewed interest in biological
pest suppression. Classical biological
control or periodic inundative release of natural enemies has been most
effective in cropping systems where large-scale use of insecticides or their ecologically disruptive practices are minimal (David & Easwaramoorthy 1988).
Green lacewings are known to have tolerance to commonly used pesticides
(Bigler 1984), and they are relatively easy to
rear in captivity (Tulisalo et al. 1984). Laboratory culture and augmentation of Mallada desjardinsi (= boninensis) is feasible through Corcyra cephalonica larvae and artificial diet (Vasanthkumar et al. 2012).
Mallada desjardinsi is an
important predator of pests such as mealy bugs and aphids. In tea they are
important predator of Red Spider Mite Oligonychus
coffeae (Vasanthkumar
et al. 2012).
Distribution
study in India showed Bengaluru, Karnataka, to have the highest density of M. desjardinsi population (26.6% and 5.05 ± 0.108 per
plant) in the areas sampled (Boopathi et al. 2016).
The larvae of
green lacewings are important predators largely used as biological agents. They feed on pest thrips, aphids, scales, caterpillars, and
spider mites infesting a variety of plants (McEwen et al. 2001). Adults of green lacewing generally are not
predatory and feed on nectar, pollen or honeydew while a few of them are
predatory (Coppel & Mertins 1977).
Mallada desjardinsi (Navas) (= boninensis) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), is reported as an important predator of
red spider mite (RSM) Oligonychus coffeae Nietner (Acari: Tetranychidae) (Babu et al. 2004; Vasanthkumar et al. 2012). Mallada desjardinsi are also considered as generalist
predators and are reported as important natural enemies of a variety of pests
such as mealy bugs (Mani & Krishnamoorthi 1987),
white flies (Selvakumaran et al. 1996), bollworms and aphids (Kabissa et al. 1996).
Generalist predators prefer to take prey
of whatever size they can handle (Dong & Polis 1992; Finke 1994). If these
prey include younger conspecifics or other
predators, then control of the herbivore population
is not guaranteed. Intraguild predation (IGP) is a combination of the
killing and eating species that use similar, often limiting, resources and are
thus potential competitors (Polis & Myers 1989); however, there has been little research on the IGP of chrysopids, especially on the M. desjardinsi in
tea ecosystem. Thus the seasonality, IGP
on spider eggs and spiderlings and the relationship between the
proportion of larvae population and spider population were studied to provide a theoretical foundation for future studies.
The current study was undertaken from
December 2014 to November 2015 at UPASI Experimental Farm, Valparai (10.366660N & 76.966660E, 1,065m) in Anamallais province, Tamil Nadu, southern
India. Daily
field surveys were conducted randomly for a year during morning hours
(08:00–10.00 hr) in tea plantations. Wild guava trees, (Psidium guajava L.) dispersed in tea plantations support
a huge population of the predator Mallada desjardinsi. The identification
of lacewing was done following standard reference (Babu et al. 2004). The green lacewing larvae were collected and
recorded on guava trees. Recorded
lacewing larvae were tabulated on monthly interval. The spider population was also assessed in
the trees. Mallada desjardinsi larvae were found in and around spider
egg sacs and spiderlings.
The spiders were collected in small glass vials (5ml) with 90% alcohol,
brought to the laboratory and identified using standard reference (Tikader 1987; Sebastian &
Peter 2009).
Mallada desjardinsi’s prey preference was derived from
extensive field observations of spiderlings and egg sacs feeding and identification
of prey carcasses (trash) taken from the larvae. The larvae of M. desjardinsi were collected in glass tubes (25×200 mm
length) and brought to the laboratory and trash was examined using a
stereomicroscope. Spider egg sacs were
also examined in the laboratory. Egg
sacs were opened and examined using a stereomicroscope to determine the number consumed by the predator.
Any egg that appeared deflated was counted as consumed. The population abundance of M. desjardinsi and spiders (spiderlings and egg sacs) were correlated using
Spearman’s rank correlation (Siegel & Castellan 1988).
Mallada desjardinsi is a common chrysopid in tea plantations. The larvae are trash carriers and cover
themselves with fluffy heaps of debris that conceal their body. The covering included remains of spider egg
sacs. It is held in place by hooked
spines or bristles on the larva’s body.
When in motion, the larva’s legs and large mandibles can be seen on
close inspection. The present study
revealed that the fluctuation patterns of M. desjardinsi are more or less synchronized in
different months. The population was higher during the months of September to December. A synchronized pattern of low population was observed during February
to August (Fig. 1). According to
regression analysis it seems that the increase in number of species of
lacewings correlates with increasing winter temperature,
while they decrease with increasing summer precipitation (McEwen et al. 2001).
A total of nine species of spiders were
recorded on the guava trees, viz., Epeus indicus Proszynski, Epocilla aurantiaca Simon, Chrysso nigra O.P. Cambridge, Chrysso argyrodiformis Yaginuma, Cyrtarachne sp., Neoscona mukerjei Tikader, Oxytate virens Thorell, Telamonia dimidiate Simon and Tetragnatha fletcheri Gravely. Neoscona mukerjei and Cyrtarachne sp. belongs to Araneidae (Orb-web spiders). Epeus indicus, Epocilla aurantiaca and Telamonia dimidiate are jumping spiders (Salticidae).
Chrysso nigra, C. argyrodiformis and Cyrtarachne sp. belongs to Theridiiae (Comb-footed spiders). Oxytate virens commonly called as green crab spider (Thomisidae).
Tetragnatha fletcheri Gravely (Long-jawed spiders) belongs to Tetragnathidae.
These spiders construct small, irregular webs, typically on the
underside of leaves and within the branches.
The larvae of M. desjardinsi are
voracious feeders on these spider egg sacs.
The larvae actively seek a previously constructed spider egg sac that
they enter through direct penetration (Image 1).
Preference was mostly for abandoned egg
sacs and spiderlings.
In the field it was observed that the fully grown
larvae of M. desjardinsi, roamed near and consumed 22% eggs of C. nigra, 20% of N. mukerjei, 11% of C. argyrodoformis and 10% of Cyrtarachne sp. and below 10% of the other spider
species (Fig. 2).
In the laboratory studies Vanitha et al. (2009) showed that when egg sacs
were offered to fully grown larvae of Chrysoperla, they consumed eggs of Oxyopes javanus and Clubiona drassodes, whereas no consumption was observed
when the mother was present. The
population of M. desjardinsi showed a positive correlation (R =
0.7347) with spider population. Thus, the larger the population of spiderlings and egg sacs, the greater the M. desjardinsi population (Fig. 3). Noppe et al. (2012) reported that green
lacewing, Chrysoperla carnea was the superior intraguild predator, winning 88.9% when the
experiment was repeated in petri dishes without plant material, regardless of
whether green bugs or eggs of Ephestia kuehniella Zeller were offered as focal prey.
Intraguild predation by M. desjardinsi can be regarded as a mechanism for
enabling survival when the red spider mite prey is scarce. Nevertheless, the intraguild predation of M. desjardinsi may reduce pest suppression in tea
plantations.
References
Babu, A.,
R. Selvasundaram, N. Muraleedharan & R. Sasidhar (2004). A new predator of red spider mites. Newsletter. UPASI Tea Res. Foundation 14: 1–2.
Bigler, F. (1984) . Biological Control by Chrysopids Integration with Pesticides, pp.
233–245. Canard, M., Y. Semeria & R.T. New (eds.). Biology of Chrysopidae. Dr. W. Junk Publishers, Boston.
Boopathi, T., S. B. Singh, M. Ravi & T. Manju (2016). Distribution and biology of Mallada desjardinsi (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) in India and its predatory potential against Aleurodicus dispersus (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae). Journal of Economic Entomology 109: 1988–1994.
Coppel, H.C. & J.W. Mertins (1977). Biological Insect Pest Suppression. Springer, Berlin, 314pp.
David, H. & S. Easwaramoorthy (1988). Biocontrol Technology for Sugarcane Pest Management. The Seshan Printers, Coimbatore, 372pp.
Dong, Q. & G.A. Polis (1992). The dynamics of cannibalistic
populations: A foraging perspective, pp. 13–37. Cannibalism. Elgar, M.A. & B.J. Crespi (eds.). Ecology
and Evolution Among Diverse Taxa. Oxford: Oxford Science Publications.
Finke, O.M. (1994). Population regulation of a tropical damselfly in the larval stage by
food limitation, cannibalism, intraguild predation and
habitat drying. Oecologia 100: 118–127.
Kabissa, J.C.B., J.C. Yarro, H.Y. Kayumbo & S.A. Juliano (1996). Functional responses of two chrysopid predators feeding on Helicoverpa armigera (Lep.: Noctuidae) and Aphis gosssypii (Hom.: Aphididae). Entomophaga 41: 141–151.
Mani, M. & A. Krishnamoorthy (1987). Feeding potential and development of
lacewings, Mallada boninensis (Okamota) on the grape mealy bug, Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green). Entomon 14: 19–21.
McEwen, P., T.R. New & A.E. Whittington (2001). Lacewings. The Crop Environment. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 546pp.
Noppe, C., J.P. Michaud & P. De Clercq (2012). Intraguild predation between lady beetles and
lacewings: Outcomes and consequences vary with focal prey and arena of interaction. Annals of the Entomological Society of
America
105(4): 562–571.
Polis, G.A. & C.A. Myer (1989). The ecology and evolution of intraguild predation: potential competitors that
eat each other. Annual review of Ecology and Systematics 20: 297–330.
Sebastian, P.A. & K.V. Peter (2009). Spiders of India. 1st Edition. Universities Press, India, 615pp.
Selvakumaran, S.,
M. Kallil, S. Devasahayam (1996). Natural enemies of two major species of scale insects infesting Black
Pepper (Piper nigrum L.) in India. Pest Management Horticulture Ecosystem 2: 79–83.
Siegel, S. & N.J. Castellan (1988). Nonpara-metric
Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences. 2nd Edition. McGraw-Hill International Editions, Singapore.
Tikader, B.K. (1987). Handbook of Indian Spiders. Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta, 251pp.
Tulisalo, U., M. Canard, Y. Séméria & T.R. New (1984). Biology of Chrysopidae - Biological Control in the Greenhouse. Dr. W. Junk Publishers, Boston, 228–232pp.
Vanitha, K.P., P. Sivasubramanian, Z. Kavitharaghavan, C. Vijayaraghavan & K. Samiayyan (2009). Prey preference, cross predation and
impact of some cultural practices on spiders and their abundance in cotton. Karnataka Journal of Agricultural Science 22: 548–551.
Vasanthakumar, D., R.A. Kumar, J.V. Rahman, P. Kumar, C. Sundaravadivelan & A. Babu (2012). Enhancement of reproductive potential of
Mallada boninensis Okamoto (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), a predator of red spider mite infesting tea: an evaluation of artificial diets. Archives of
Biological Science 64: 281–285.