Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

TEMPERATURE-DEPENDENT PREY CONSUMPTION AND FUNCTIONAL RESPONSE OF EPISYRPHUS BALTEATUS DE GEER (DIPTERA: SYRPHIDAE) TO MACROSIPHUM ROSAE L. (HOMOPTERA: APHIDIDAE) REARED ON ROSA ALBA L. UNDER LABORATORY CONDITIONS

Falak Mushtaq, Md. Niamat Ali and Akhtar Ali Khan

Abstract

Laboratory experiments were conducted to determine the prey consumption and functional response of the aphidophagous hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus DeGeer (Diptera: Syrphidae) to different densities of fourth instar rose aphids, Macrosiphum rosae (Homoptera: Aphididae), reared on Rosa alba L. (Rosaceae) at 20 oC, 27 oC and 35 oC. The third instar of E.balteatus consumed a maximum of 51.3±0.53 M. rosae aphids at 27 oC, followed by the third instar with 46.5±0.53 aphid predation at 20 oC. The lowest handling time (Th) was noted for the third instar larvae of E. balteatus (0.407± 0.012) at 27 oC, and the maximum handling time (Th) of (0.662 ± 0.024) was noted for 2nd larvae of E. balteatus at 35 oC. The highest attack rate was noted for 3rd instar larvae (0.201± 0.014) at 27 oC, while the lowest attack rate was noted for second instar at 35 oC. Both instars of Episyrphus balteatus exhibited type II functional response at all three temperatures.