Abstract

HEIT, Guillermo E.; SARDOY, Pedro; COHEN, Graciela R.  and  MAREGGIANI, Graciela. Locomotor activity of Cycloneda sanguinea (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) exposed to volatile semiochemicals and to direct contact with the odour source. Rev. Soc. Entomol. Argent. [online]. 2007, vol.66, n.3-4, pp.197-203. ISSN 0373-5680.

Cycloneda sanguinea (Linnaeus) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is an opportunistic polyphagous predator and when aphids dominate its menu, a complex foraging behaviour can be expected. An active movement characterized by a high locomotor activity plays an important role in the search of this prey. The behaviour of C. sanguinea adults exposed to volatile semiochemicals emitted by Capsicum annuum Linnaeus (Solanaceae) substrates, healthy or infested with Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), or in direct contact with these substrates was here analyzed. The treatments evaluated were: A) high aphid-infested pepper leaves, B) low aphid-infested pepper leaves, C) healthy pepper leaves and D) control. Locomotor activity was not significantly different among treatments when C. sanguinea was exposed only to the volatiles. However, when adults were placed in direct contact with the evaluated substrates, statistically significant differences were found among treatments. These preliminary results could indicate that the sole presence of an olfactory stimulus could not be sufficient to modulate a different locomotor pattern in C. sanguinea.

Keywords : Foraging behaviour; Capsicum annuum; Cycloneda sanguinea; Myzus persicae; Actometer.

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