Hippodamia convergens: Difference between revisions
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Fixed open code on ref for Michard & Quershi; added ref name="MQ-1016"; consolidated 2 instances. Rm dup ref fr behind ref name="Four" - 2 instances. →Behavior: Moved to heading from plain text. →Range: Rm specific trivia about beetle reproduction rates in Iowa v in Honduras. Mv refs from former "Geographic Range" section to here, which was otherwise redundant. →Habitat: Reworded content copied directly from ref name="One", as well as trivia. Added citation needed for locales. |
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{{Short description|Species of beetle}} |
{{Short description|Species of beetle}} |
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{{Speciesbox |
{{Speciesbox |
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| name = Convergent lady beetle |
| name = Convergent lady beetle |
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'''''Hippodamia convergens''''', commonly known as the '''convergent lady beetle''', is one of the most common [[Coccinellidae|lady beetles]] in [[North America]] and is found throughout the continent. |
'''''Hippodamia convergens''''', commonly known as the '''convergent lady beetle''', is one of the most common [[Coccinellidae|lady beetles]] in [[North America]] and is found throughout the continent.<ref name="One" /> They tend to live a variety of habitats, including grasslands and forests.<ref name="Four" /> |
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Female ''H. convergens'' can lay over 1000 eggs over the span of a few months during the spring or early summer.<ref name="CU" /> In some populations, the beetles may undergo diapause if there are limited food resources to delay reproduction.<ref name="MQ-1016" /> |
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''H. convergens'' eat soft-bodied insects, with [[Aphid|aphids]] being the primary food resource.<ref name="Four" /> Aphids are a known pest, so the ''H. convergens'' has been used as a method to control aphids by releasing the beetles to act as a predator for the aphids.<ref name="Obrycki2009" /> |
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==Range== |
==Range== |
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Convergent lady beetles are native to North America,<ref name="One">{{cite journal |last1=Obrycki |first1=John J. |last2=Tauber |first2=Maurice J. |title=Thermal Requirements for Development of Hippodamia convergens (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) |journal=Annals of the Entomological Society of America |date=15 November 1982 |volume=75 |issue=6 |pages=678–683 |doi=10.1093/aesa/75.6.678 |url=https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/75.6.678 |access-date=5 April 2024 |issn=1938-2901}}</ref> but have also been |
Convergent lady beetles are native to North America,<ref name="One">{{cite journal |last1=Obrycki |first1=John J. |last2=Tauber |first2=Maurice J. |title=Thermal Requirements for Development of Hippodamia convergens (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) |journal=Annals of the Entomological Society of America |date=15 November 1982 |volume=75 |issue=6 |pages=678–683 |doi=10.1093/aesa/75.6.678 |url=https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/75.6.678 |access-date=5 April 2024 |issn=1938-2901}}</ref> but have also been found in South America after they were imported from California.<ref name="Obrycki1998"/><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Obrycki |first1=John J. |last2=Krafsur |first2=Elliot S. |last3=Bogran |first3=Carlos E. |last4=Gomez |first4=Luis E. |last5=Cave |first5=Ronald E. |title=Comparative Studies of Three Populations of the Lady Beetle Predator Hippodamia convergens (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) |journal=The Florida Entomologist |date=2001 |volume=84 |issue=1 |pages=55–62 |doi=10.2307/3496663 |jstor=3496663 |url=https://doi.org/10.2307/3496663 |access-date=5 April 2024 |ref=Two |issn=0015-4040|hdl=1969.1/182788 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> |
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==Habitat== |
==Habitat== |
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'' |
''H. convergens'' tend to be more successful and more likely to survive to adulthood in warmer temperatures.<ref name="One">{{cite journal |last1=Obrycki |first1=John J. |last2=Tauber |first2=Maurice J. |title=Thermal Requirements for Development of Hippodamia convergens (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) |journal=Annals of the Entomological Society of America |date=15 November 1982 |volume=75 |issue=6 |pages=678–683 |doi=10.1093/aesa/75.6.678 |url=https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/75.6.678 |access-date=5 April 2024 |issn=1938-2901}}</ref> |
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In some areas, they gather on sunflower patches, having moved from wheat fields. They use the [[Petiole (botany)|petioles]] of the sunflowers to hydrate, particularly in arid summer months.<ref name="MQ-1016">{{cite journal |last1=Michaud |first1=J.P. |last2=Qureshi |first2=Jawwad A. |title=Reproductive diapause in Hippodamia convergens (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) and its life history consequences |journal=Biological Control |date=November 2006 |volume=39 |issue=2 |pages=193–200 |doi=10.1016/j.biocontrol.2006.04.004 |issn=1049-9644}}</ref> They populate grasslands, forests, agricultural fields, gardens, and national parks. |
In some areas, they gather on sunflower patches, having moved from wheat fields. They use the [[Petiole (botany)|petioles]] of the sunflowers to hydrate, particularly in arid summer months.<ref name="MQ-1016">{{cite journal |last1=Michaud |first1=J.P. |last2=Qureshi |first2=Jawwad A. |title=Reproductive diapause in Hippodamia convergens (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) and its life history consequences |journal=Biological Control |date=November 2006 |volume=39 |issue=2 |pages=193–200 |doi=10.1016/j.biocontrol.2006.04.004 |hdl=2097/13513 |issn=1049-9644|hdl-access=free }}</ref> They populate grasslands, forests, agricultural fields, gardens, and national parks.<ref name="Four"/> |
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These beetles have been shown to have a lower temperature tolerance of 6.5°C (approximately 43°F) and an upper temperature tolerance of 50°C (approximately 122°F).<ref name=Porras2021>{{cite journal |last1=Porras |first1=Mitzy F. |last2=Agudelo-Cantero |first2=Gustavo A. |last3=Santiago-Martínez |first3=M. Geovanni |last4=Navas |first4=Carlos A. |last5=Loeschcke |first5=Volker |last6=Sørensen |first6=Jesper Givskov |last7=Rajotte |first7=Ewdin G. |display-authors=4 |date=2021-11-05 |title=Fungal infections lead to shifts in thermal tolerance and voluntary exposure to extreme temperatures in both prey and predator insects |journal=Scientific Reports |volume=11 |pages=21710 |doi=10.1038/s41598-021-00248-z |doi-access=free |s2cid=241664136|pmc=8571377 }}</ref> They have been found to achieve optimal reproductive and survival rates at 25.12°C (approximately 77°F) with a relative humidity of 63.78%.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sánchez-Antezana |first1=Claudia Alicia |last2=Narrea-Cango |first2=Mónica |last3=Iannacone |first3=José |date=2022-04-19 |title=Biologies, capcidad predatory and behavemiento of Hippodamia convergens Guérin-Meneville, 1842 (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) as biological controller of Aphis spirae Patch, 1914 (Hemiptera: Aphididae) en conments of laboratory |trans-title=Biology, predatory capacity and behavior of Hippodamia convergens Guérin- Meneville, 1842 (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) as biological controller of Aphis spiraecola Patch, 1914 (Hemiptera: Aphididae) under laboratory conditions |journal=Revista SUSTINERE |volume=10 |issue=Primeira Edição Suplementar |pages=105-129 |doi=10.12957/sustinere.2022.65871 |s2cid=248257406 |language=pt|doi-access=free }}</ref> |
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==Life cycle== |
==Life cycle== |
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The female lady beetle lays 200 to |
The female lady beetle lays 200 to 1000 [[Egg (biology)|eggs]] over several months during spring and early summer.<ref name="CU" /> The eggs are small and spindle-shaped and are laid near the prey in upright batches of fifteen to thirty eggs. The [[larva]]e are dark and somewhat alligator-shaped.<ref name="CU">{{cite web |title=''Hippodamia convergens'' {{!}} (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) {{!}} Convergent Lady Beetle |url=http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/ent/biocontrol/predators/Hippodamia.html |website=[[Cornell University]] |access-date=2024-04-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001019070536/http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/ent/biocontrol/predators/hippodamia.html |archive-date=2000-10-19}}</ref> |
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Once the larvae begin feeding, they grow quickly and [[Moulting#In arthropods|molt]] four times over a period of up to a month.<ref name=Balduf/> Larvae generally move between plants by traveling across leaves. However, they are able to travel via soil if the leaves cannot be crossed.<ref name="PT-Jn2012">{{cite journal |last1=Purandare |first1=Swapna R. |last2=Tenhumberg |first2=Brigitte |date=June 2012 |title=Influence of aphid honeydew on the foraging behaviour of Hippodamia convergens larvae |journal=Ecological Entomology |language=en |volume=37 |issue=3 |pages=184–192 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-2311.2012.01351.x |issn=0307-6946}}</ref> The [[pupal]] stage lasts about a week and mating takes place soon after adult [[eclosion]]. If the food supply is abundant, the female may start laying within about a week of mating, but if it is scarce, she may wait for up to nine months.<ref name=Balduf>{{cite book |last=Balduf |first=W. V. |year=1935 |title=The Bionomics of Entomophagous Coleoptera |location=St. Louis, MO |publisher=John S. Swift Co.}}</ref> |
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==Biology== |
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| ⚫ | Upon reaching the adult stage, females feed on fats and proteins for a week. This increases the production of [[juvenile hormone]], helping the ovaries mature. This hormone also causes a behavior that results in long distance migration.<ref name="Six">{{cite journal |last1=Flint |first1=Mary Louise |last2=Dreistadt |first2=Steve H. |title=Interactions among convergent lady beetle (Hippodamia convergens) releases, aphid populations, and rose cultivar |journal=Biological Control |date=July 2005 |volume=34 |issue=1 |pages=38–46 |doi=10.1016/j.biocontrol.2005.03.019 |url=https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2005.03.019 |access-date=5 April 2024 |issn=1049-9644}}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | The first larvae that hatch in each batch may start by eating the unhatched eggs. This may provide energy for the larvae before they find any aphids. Fourth-[[instar]] larvae may consume about fifty aphids per day and adults may eat about twenty. When aphids are scarce, the adults can eat [[Honeydew (secretion)|honeydew]], [[nectar]] and [[pollen]] or even petals and other soft parts of plants.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Hagen |first=Kenneth S. |year=1960 |title=Biological Control with Lady Beetles |journal=Plants and Gardens: The Brooklyn Botanic Garden Record |volume=16 |issue=3 |pages=28–35 }}</ref> |
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In the western United States, these beetles may spend up to nine months in [[diapause]] in large aggregations in mountain valleys, far from their aphid food sources. In spring, the adults spread out and search for suitable sites to lay their eggs where aphids are plentiful. This dispersal trait is especially marked in this species as compared to other lady beetles.<ref name="CU"/> |
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In the western United States, these beetles may spend up to nine months in [[diapause]] in large groups in mountain valleys.<ref name="CU"/> Some populations have been shown to undergo diapause when nutrients are scarce, using limited food resources to develop fat bodies and postpone the onset of reproduction until they can find a consistent and sufficient food source.<ref name="MQ-1016"/> During diapause, adult females are known to actively engage in flight.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Nadeau |first1=Emily A. W. |last2=Lecheta |first2=Melise C. |last3=Obrycki |first3=John J. |last4=Teets |first4=Nicholas M. |date=31 March 2022 |title=Transcriptional Regulation of Reproductive Diapause in the Convergent Lady Beetle, Hippodamia convergens |url=https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/13/4/343 |journal=Insects |volume=13 |issue=4 |page=343 |doi=10.3390/insects13040343 |s2cid=247897328 |doi-access=free|pmc=9026804 }}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | Convergent lady beetles |
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==Diet== |
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Both larvae and adult Hippodamia convergens primarily consume aphids.They are active hunters and the larvae will start searching for prey almost immediately upon hatching. Aphids are small insects that consume plant sap. Aphids tend to aggregate on plants to feed on the sap, so H. convergens generally find aggregations of aphids to prey on as their food source. H. convergens feed on other soft-bodied insects such as scales and thrips. They will consume pollen and nectar from flowers when the usual insect prey is scarce. Hippodamia convergens are also shown to exhibit cannibalistic behaviors when food is especially scarce.<ref name="Four">{{cite web |title=Convergent Ladybug - ''Hippodamia convergens'' |url=https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/BENEFICIAL/convergent_lady_beetle.html |website=[[University of Florida]] Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences |access-date=5 April 2024}}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | Both larvae and adult ''H. convergens'' primarily consume [[Aphid|aphids]]. They are active hunters, meaning that they mobilize and travel to hunt for their prey. This also means that the larvae do not rely on helpers at the very least to gather food, meaning that the larvae will start searching for prey almost immediately upon hatching.<ref name="Four"/> The first larvae that hatch in each batch may start by eating the unhatched eggs. This may provide energy for the larvae before they find any aphids. Fourth-[[instar]] larvae may consume about fifty aphids per day and adults may eat about twenty. When aphids are scarce, the adults can eat [[Honeydew (secretion)|honeydew]], [[nectar]] and [[pollen]] or even petals and other soft parts of plants.<ref name=Hagen>{{cite journal |last=Hagen |first=Kenneth S. |year=1960 |title=Biological Control with Lady Beetles |journal=Plants and Gardens: The Brooklyn Botanic Garden Record |volume=16 |issue=3 |pages=28–35 }}</ref> |
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==Parental care== |
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Hippodamia convergens are shown in studies as one of few species that is able to undergo reproductive diapause while having minimal access to food and nutrients. Studies have shown that reproductive diapause is an adaptive female strategy. However, the longer they remain in reproductive diapause and wait to undergo reproduction, the lower their chances of being able to reproduce are, which increases the chance they die without reproducing at all. Therefore, delaying reproduction for too long increases the chance of female H. convergens being unable to pass down their genes. H. convergens use the limited food resources to develop fat bodies and postpone the onset of reproduction until they can find a consistent and sufficient food source.<ref name="MQ-1016"/> If food is plentiful, females will generally oviposit around five does after mating. If food is more scarce, the females will wait for up to a couple of weeks after mating to oviposit. When mating and laying eggs, they lay clusters of on average 10-30 yellow eggs on plants where a large amount of insect prey is present. <ref name="Four"/> |
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''H. convergens'' feed on other soft-bodied insects such as [[Scale insect|scales]] and [[thrips]]. They are also known to exhibit cannibalistic behaviors when food is especially scarce.<ref name="Four">{{cite web |last1=Aristizábal |first1=Luis F. |last2=Arthurs |first2=Steven P. |date=2021-09-21 |title=Convergent Lady Beetle ''Hippodamia convergens'' Guérin-Méneville (Insecta: Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) |url=https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN1037 |website=[[Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences|University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences]] |access-date=6 April 2024}}</ref> |
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Aggregations of Hippodamia convergens that occur in the spring are generally made up of immature adult females. These females are not ready to mate and therefore do not oviposit on the plants where they aggregate. This makes it difficult to use an aggregation of H. convergens for aphid control during the spring, as pest control would not be continually maintained by a new generation. A hormone produced upon maturation also causes a behavior of migrating long distances, which explains the dispersal shortly after aggregation, even when aphids - prey - are still present. Studies show that H. convergens generally disperse from an aggregation and leave a particular feeding ground after 1-2 days, even when a population of aphids is still present. After reaching the adult stage, females need to consume nutrients, particularly protein and fat, for a week before they have matured and are able to ovulate. This leads to mixed results in H. convergens ability as aphid pest control. While they are effective in clearing out aphids while aggregated on respective plants, they tend to migrate after a relatively brief period of time. This means that plants would have to be continuously artificially populated with H. convergens to serve as effective aphid pest control. |
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| ⚫ | Upon reaching the adult stage, |
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| ⚫ | Convergent lady beetles have been used for [[Biological pest control#Augmentation|augmentative biological control]] to temporarily increase predator numbers to control aphids. Because of the overwintering habits of non-reproductive adults, released beetles tend to quickly disperse from their release site. Adults released in enclosed settings such as greenhouses can contribute to lower aphid numbers.<ref name="Obrycki2009">{{cite journal|last1=Obrycki|first1=John J.|last2=Harwood|first2=James D.|last3=Kring|first3=Timothy J.|last4=O'Neil|first4=Robert J.|title=Aphidophagy by Coccinellidae: Application of biological control in agroecosystems|journal=Biological Control|date=November 2009|volume=51|issue=2|pages=244–254|doi=10.1016/j.biocontrol.2009.05.009|bibcode=2009BiolC..51..244O }}</ref> |
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They are one of the few species that are currently collected from mass aggregations in the wild to be distributed as pest control. |
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However, they are not the most effective aphid control. Aggregation tends to occur before the adults have fully matured, so they are unable to lay eggs at that point. Additionally, they tend to disperse from the aggregation before mating and laying eggs in their aggregation, so eggs are not left behind to hatch and continue the cycle of controlling the aphid population. <ref name="PT-Jn2012">{{cite journal |last1=Purandare |first1=Swapna R. |last2=Tenhumberg |first2=Brigitte |title=Influence of aphid honeydew on the foraging behaviour of Hippodamia convergens larvae |journal=Ecological Entomology |date=June 2012 |volume=37 |issue=3 |pages=184–192 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-2311.2012.01351.x |language=en |issn=0307-6946}}</ref> |
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However, they tend to disperse before mating and laying eggs, so eggs are not left behind to hatch and continue the cycle of controlling the aphid population. This occurs even when live prey is still present.<ref name="Six"/> |
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==Behavior== |
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Hippodamia convergens use environmental cues to seek out their prey, aphids. Aphids feed on phloem in large amounts due to its lack of amino acids. Because they feed on such large amounts, they excrete excess sugars in the form of honeydew. The honeydew secretions accumulate in the area of the aphid aggregation. H. convergens use chemical cues and pheromone detection to seek out their prey via the honeydew secretions. These secretions serve as a cue to H. convergens about the location of aphid aggregations, leading them right to their food source. Honeydew composition varies with aphid species, age, and level of ant tending. These honeydew secretions can also provide H. convergens with information on the vulnerability and prey suitability of a specific aphid population. While H. convergens have been observed to travel across plants regardless of the presence or amount of honeydew, they spend a significantly longer period of time on plants where honeydew is present. This makes sense given that the presence of honeydew is a signal that aphids are inhabiting that particular plant. The presence of honeydew induces a searching behavior in H. convergens. |
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Beetles of this species used for biological control that are in a state of diapause have been known to not consume prey.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Davis |first1=James R. |last2=Kirkland |first2=Reed L. |date=1982 |title=Physiological and Environmental Factors Related to the Dispersal Flight of the Convergent Lady Beetle, Hippodamia convergens (Guerin-Meneville) |journal=[[Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society]] |volume=55 |issue=1 |pages=187-196 |jstor=25084275}} ''as cited in'' {{cite journal |last1=Teets |first1=Nicholas M. |last2=Marshall |first2=Katie E. |last3=Reynolds |first3=Julie A. |date=2022-10-07 |title=Molecular Mechanisms of Winter Survival |journal=[[Annual Review of Entomology]] |volume=68 |pages=319-339 |doi=10.1146/annurev-ento-120120-095233|doi-access=free }}</ref> |
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Hippodamia convergens larvae generally move from one plant to another by traveling across the leaves from the original plant to the new one. However, they are able to travel via soil if the leaves are uncrossable. For example, a plant may have been dislodged by wind or water and pushed further away. H. convergens determine the suitability of an aphid aggregation for preying on aphid abundance, size, escapability, and nutritional quality. In theory, there could be many plants infested with aphids in an area, but H. convergens will only go after a few of the plants based on the suitability of aphids for preying. <ref name="PT-Jn2012"/> |
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This species was not included in the list of predatory insects usable for population control in the 2021 guidelines issued by the [[Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences|University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=LeBeck |first1=Lynn M. |last2=Leppla |first2=Norman C. |year=2021 |title=2021 Guidelines for Purchasing and Using Commercial Natural Enemies and Biopesticides in North America |url=https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN849 |website=[[Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences|University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences]] |access-date=2024-04-06 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20210508224541/https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/in849 |archive-date=2021-05-08}}</ref> |
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==Natural enemies== |
==Natural enemies== |
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[[Entomopathogenic fungus|Entomopathogenic fungi]] used as [[biopesticides]] such as ''[[Metarhizium anisopliae]]'', ''[[Paecilomyces fumosoroseus]]'', and ''[[Beauveria bassiana]]'' can |
[[Entomopathogenic fungus|Entomopathogenic fungi]] used as [[biopesticides]] such as ''[[Metarhizium anisopliae]]'', ''[[Paecilomyces fumosoroseus]]'', and ''[[Beauveria bassiana]]'' can infect larvae.<ref name="Obrycki1998">{{cite journal|last1=Obrycki|first1=John J.|last2=Kring |first2=Timothy J.|title=Predaceous Coccinellidae in Biological Control |journal=Annual Review of Entomology |date=January 1998|volume=43|issue=1|pages=295–321 |doi=10.1146/annurev.ento.43.1.295 |pmid=15012392}}</ref> Infection by ''Beauveria bassiana'' in particular has been shown to affect the temperatures these beetles will tolerate.<ref name=Porras2021/> |
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Just as Hippodamia convergens feed on other insects, aphids, they themselves are prey to a few different types of insects. Large big-eyed bugs (Geocoris bullatus) and damsel bugs (Nabis alternatus) prey on H. convergens eggs. |
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Hippodamia convergens can also potentially contain parasites. The braconid wasp, Dinocampus coccinellae, has been found parasitizing H. convergens.<ref name="Four"/> |
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| ⚫ | '' |
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''[[Geocoris bullatus]]'' and ''[[Nabis alternatus]]'' prey on ''H. convergens'' eggs.<ref name="Four"/> |
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==Physiology== |
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The adult population of Hippodamia convergens commonly flies in order to gain a vantage point to search for prey. This also enables them to move more quickly and gain a vantage point to search for prey. <ref name="Seven">{{cite journal |last1=Stowe |first1=Hannah E. |last2=Michaud |first2=J. P. |last3=Kim |first3=Tania N. |title=Floral Resources Enhance Fecundity, but Not Flight Activity, in a Specialized Aphid Predator, Hippodamia convergens (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) |journal=Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |date=2021 |volume=9 |doi=10.3389/fevo.2021.748870 |url=https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2021.748870 |access-date=5 April 2024 |issn=2296-701X}}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | ''H. convergens'' may be a host for different invertebrate parasites such as ''[[Dinocampus coccinellae]]'', ''[[Homalotylus terminalis]]'', and ''[[Tetrapolipus hippodamiae]]''.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Bjørnson |first=S. |date=March 2008 |title=Natural enemies of the convergent lady beetle, ''Hippodamia convergens'' Guérin-Méneville: Their inadvertent importation and potential significance for augmentative biological control |journal=Biological Control |volume=44 |issue=3 |pages=305–311 |doi=10.1016/j.biocontrol.2007.10.001 |bibcode=2008BiolC..44..305B |issn=1049-9644}}</ref> |
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== References == |
== References == |
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Latest revision as of 22:02, 27 April 2024
| Convergent lady beetle | |
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| Sucking on an aphid, Rock Creek Park | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Infraorder: | Cucujiformia |
| Family: | Coccinellidae |
| Genus: | Hippodamia |
| Species: | H. convergens
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| Binomial name | |
| Hippodamia convergens Guérin-Méneville, 1842
| |
Hippodamia convergens, commonly known as the convergent lady beetle, is one of the most common lady beetles in North America and is found throughout the continent.[1] They tend to live a variety of habitats, including grasslands and forests.[2]
Female H. convergens can lay over 1000 eggs over the span of a few months during the spring or early summer.[3] In some populations, the beetles may undergo diapause if there are limited food resources to delay reproduction.[4]
H. convergens eat soft-bodied insects, with aphids being the primary food resource.[2] Aphids are a known pest, so the H. convergens has been used as a method to control aphids by releasing the beetles to act as a predator for the aphids.[5]
Range[edit]
Convergent lady beetles are native to North America,[1] but have also been found in South America after they were imported from California.[6][7]
Habitat[edit]
H. convergens tend to be more successful and more likely to survive to adulthood in warmer temperatures.[1] In some areas, they gather on sunflower patches, having moved from wheat fields. They use the petioles of the sunflowers to hydrate, particularly in arid summer months.[4] They populate grasslands, forests, agricultural fields, gardens, and national parks.[2]
These beetles have been shown to have a lower temperature tolerance of 6.5°C (approximately 43°F) and an upper temperature tolerance of 50°C (approximately 122°F).[8] They have been found to achieve optimal reproductive and survival rates at 25.12°C (approximately 77°F) with a relative humidity of 63.78%.[9]
Life cycle[edit]
The female lady beetle lays 200 to 1000 eggs over several months during spring and early summer.[3] The eggs are small and spindle-shaped and are laid near the prey in upright batches of fifteen to thirty eggs. The larvae are dark and somewhat alligator-shaped.[3]
Once the larvae begin feeding, they grow quickly and molt four times over a period of up to a month.[10] Larvae generally move between plants by traveling across leaves. However, they are able to travel via soil if the leaves cannot be crossed.[11] The pupal stage lasts about a week and mating takes place soon after adult eclosion. If the food supply is abundant, the female may start laying within about a week of mating, but if it is scarce, she may wait for up to nine months.[10]
Upon reaching the adult stage, females feed on fats and proteins for a week. This increases the production of juvenile hormone, helping the ovaries mature. This hormone also causes a behavior that results in long distance migration.[12]
In the western United States, these beetles may spend up to nine months in diapause in large groups in mountain valleys.[3] Some populations have been shown to undergo diapause when nutrients are scarce, using limited food resources to develop fat bodies and postpone the onset of reproduction until they can find a consistent and sufficient food source.[4] During diapause, adult females are known to actively engage in flight.[13]
Diet[edit]
Both larvae and adult H. convergens primarily consume aphids. They are active hunters, meaning that they mobilize and travel to hunt for their prey. This also means that the larvae do not rely on helpers at the very least to gather food, meaning that the larvae will start searching for prey almost immediately upon hatching.[2] The first larvae that hatch in each batch may start by eating the unhatched eggs. This may provide energy for the larvae before they find any aphids. Fourth-instar larvae may consume about fifty aphids per day and adults may eat about twenty. When aphids are scarce, the adults can eat honeydew, nectar and pollen or even petals and other soft parts of plants.[14]
H. convergens feed on other soft-bodied insects such as scales and thrips. They are also known to exhibit cannibalistic behaviors when food is especially scarce.[2]
Biological control[edit]
Convergent lady beetles have been used for augmentative biological control to temporarily increase predator numbers to control aphids. Because of the overwintering habits of non-reproductive adults, released beetles tend to quickly disperse from their release site. Adults released in enclosed settings such as greenhouses can contribute to lower aphid numbers.[5]
However, they tend to disperse before mating and laying eggs, so eggs are not left behind to hatch and continue the cycle of controlling the aphid population. This occurs even when live prey is still present.[12]
Beetles of this species used for biological control that are in a state of diapause have been known to not consume prey.[15]
This species was not included in the list of predatory insects usable for population control in the 2021 guidelines issued by the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.[16]
Natural enemies[edit]
Entomopathogenic fungi used as biopesticides such as Metarhizium anisopliae, Paecilomyces fumosoroseus, and Beauveria bassiana can infect larvae.[6] Infection by Beauveria bassiana in particular has been shown to affect the temperatures these beetles will tolerate.[8]
Geocoris bullatus and Nabis alternatus prey on H. convergens eggs.[2]
H. convergens may be a host for different invertebrate parasites such as Dinocampus coccinellae, Homalotylus terminalis, and Tetrapolipus hippodamiae.[17]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Obrycki, John J.; Tauber, Maurice J. (November 15, 1982). "Thermal Requirements for Development of Hippodamia convergens (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)". Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 75 (6): 678–683. doi:10.1093/aesa/75.6.678. ISSN 1938-2901. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f Aristizábal, Luis F.; Arthurs, Steven P. (September 21, 2021). "Convergent Lady Beetle Hippodamia convergens Guérin-Méneville (Insecta: Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)". University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Hippodamia convergens | (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) | Convergent Lady Beetle". Cornell University. Archived from the original on October 19, 2000. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
- ^ a b c Michaud, J.P.; Qureshi, Jawwad A. (November 2006). "Reproductive diapause in Hippodamia convergens (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) and its life history consequences". Biological Control. 39 (2): 193–200. doi:10.1016/j.biocontrol.2006.04.004. hdl:2097/13513. ISSN 1049-9644.
- ^ a b Obrycki, John J.; Harwood, James D.; Kring, Timothy J.; O'Neil, Robert J. (November 2009). "Aphidophagy by Coccinellidae: Application of biological control in agroecosystems". Biological Control. 51 (2): 244–254. Bibcode:2009BiolC..51..244O. doi:10.1016/j.biocontrol.2009.05.009.
- ^ a b Obrycki, John J.; Kring, Timothy J. (January 1998). "Predaceous Coccinellidae in Biological Control". Annual Review of Entomology. 43 (1): 295–321. doi:10.1146/annurev.ento.43.1.295. PMID 15012392.
- ^ Obrycki, John J.; Krafsur, Elliot S.; Bogran, Carlos E.; Gomez, Luis E.; Cave, Ronald E. (2001). "Comparative Studies of Three Populations of the Lady Beetle Predator Hippodamia convergens (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)". The Florida Entomologist. 84 (1): 55–62. doi:10.2307/3496663. hdl:1969.1/182788. ISSN 0015-4040. JSTOR 3496663. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
- ^ a b Porras, Mitzy F.; Agudelo-Cantero, Gustavo A.; Santiago-Martínez, M. Geovanni; Navas, Carlos A.; et al. (November 5, 2021). "Fungal infections lead to shifts in thermal tolerance and voluntary exposure to extreme temperatures in both prey and predator insects". Scientific Reports. 11: 21710. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-00248-z. PMC 8571377. S2CID 241664136.
- ^ Sánchez-Antezana, Claudia Alicia; Narrea-Cango, Mónica; Iannacone, José (April 19, 2022). "Biologies, capcidad predatory and behavemiento of Hippodamia convergens Guérin-Meneville, 1842 (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) as biological controller of Aphis spirae Patch, 1914 (Hemiptera: Aphididae) en conments of laboratory" [Biology, predatory capacity and behavior of Hippodamia convergens Guérin- Meneville, 1842 (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) as biological controller of Aphis spiraecola Patch, 1914 (Hemiptera: Aphididae) under laboratory conditions]. Revista SUSTINERE (in Portuguese). 10 (Primeira Edição Suplementar): 105–129. doi:10.12957/sustinere.2022.65871. S2CID 248257406.
- ^ a b Balduf, W. V. (1935). The Bionomics of Entomophagous Coleoptera. St. Louis, MO: John S. Swift Co.
- ^ Purandare, Swapna R.; Tenhumberg, Brigitte (June 2012). "Influence of aphid honeydew on the foraging behaviour of Hippodamia convergens larvae". Ecological Entomology. 37 (3): 184–192. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2311.2012.01351.x. ISSN 0307-6946.
- ^ a b Flint, Mary Louise; Dreistadt, Steve H. (July 2005). "Interactions among convergent lady beetle (Hippodamia convergens) releases, aphid populations, and rose cultivar". Biological Control. 34 (1): 38–46. doi:10.1016/j.biocontrol.2005.03.019. ISSN 1049-9644. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
- ^ Nadeau, Emily A. W.; Lecheta, Melise C.; Obrycki, John J.; Teets, Nicholas M. (March 31, 2022). "Transcriptional Regulation of Reproductive Diapause in the Convergent Lady Beetle, Hippodamia convergens". Insects. 13 (4): 343. doi:10.3390/insects13040343. PMC 9026804. S2CID 247897328.
- ^ Hagen, Kenneth S. (1960). "Biological Control with Lady Beetles". Plants and Gardens: The Brooklyn Botanic Garden Record. 16 (3): 28–35.
- ^ Davis, James R.; Kirkland, Reed L. (1982). "Physiological and Environmental Factors Related to the Dispersal Flight of the Convergent Lady Beetle, Hippodamia convergens (Guerin-Meneville)". Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society. 55 (1): 187–196. JSTOR 25084275. as cited in Teets, Nicholas M.; Marshall, Katie E.; Reynolds, Julie A. (October 7, 2022). "Molecular Mechanisms of Winter Survival". Annual Review of Entomology. 68: 319–339. doi:10.1146/annurev-ento-120120-095233.
- ^ LeBeck, Lynn M.; Leppla, Norman C. (2021). "2021 Guidelines for Purchasing and Using Commercial Natural Enemies and Biopesticides in North America". University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. Archived from the original on May 8, 2021. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
- ^ Bjørnson, S. (March 2008). "Natural enemies of the convergent lady beetle, Hippodamia convergens Guérin-Méneville: Their inadvertent importation and potential significance for augmentative biological control". Biological Control. 44 (3): 305–311. Bibcode:2008BiolC..44..305B. doi:10.1016/j.biocontrol.2007.10.001. ISSN 1049-9644.
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hippodamia convergens.
Wikispecies has information related to Convergent lady beetle.
- Natural Enemies Gallery | Convergent Lady Beetle. University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program.
- Biological Control: Lady Beetles | (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Cornell University College of Agricaulture and Life Sciences. Archived from the original on 27 November 2011.
- OSU Agricultural Extension Fact Sheet - ENT-45
- Species Hippodamia convergens - Convergent Lady Beetle. Bugs Guides.
- Convergent Lady Beetle Video on Vimeo Macro videography of Convergent Lady Beetle colony