Predation behaviors of Pterostichus melanarius adults on larvae of the soybean gall midge, Resseliella maxima

Abstract

• Pterostichus melanarius exhibited a Type I functional response to Resseliella maxima larvae in the laboratory. • P. melanarius prefers R. maxima larvae over Aphis glycines in the laboratory. • P. melanarious warrants further investigation as a potential biocontrol agent of R. maxima in soybean fields. Soybean gall midge, Resseliella maxima Gagné (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), is a pest of soybean that causes significant yield losses. Pterostichus melanarius (Illiger) (Coleoptera: Carabidae) has been reported as the most abundant predator of R. maxima in the field and feeds on R. maxima in the laboratory. Understanding the feeding behaviors of P. melanarius is crucial to determining the potential of this predator as a biological control agent for R. maxima . We conducted laboratory-based experiments on the functional response and prey preference of P. melanarius . The functional response study was performed with densities of R. maxima ranging from 1 to 60 larvae per Petri dish. Pterostichus melanarius exhibited a Type I (i.e., linear) functional response after 1 hr with an estimated handling time (T h ) and attack rate (a) of 0.0054 ± 0.0055 (SE) and 0.7076 ± 0.1339 (SE), respectively. The prey preference study was performed with three different ratios of R. maxima larvae and soybean aphids, Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae) offered as prey. Results indicated that P. melanarius consumed greater ratios of R. maxima to A. glycines than were offered. Overall, the results show that P. melanarius is a voracious predator of R. maxima and prefers R. maxima over A. glycines . These feeding behaviors of P. melanarius suggest promise for biological control of R. maxima by this predator.

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