scholarly journals Agriculturally Intensified Landscapes Are Associated With Reduced Body Condition of Lady Beetles

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Tiede ◽  
Benjamin Iuliano ◽  
Claudio Gratton
Keyword(s):  
Food Availability ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Agricultural Intensification ◽  
Lady Beetle ◽  
Landscape Patterns ◽  
Edge Density ◽  
Body Density ◽  
Reduced Body ◽  
Lady Beetles ◽  
Surrounding Landscape

Abstract Context: Agricultural intensification is contributing to a global species decline. Underlying mechanisms include toxic effects of pesticides on non-target organisms and reductions in habitat and food availability. However, the effects of agricultural intensification on body condition, particularly of ecosystem service providing arthropods, are poorly understood.Objectives: Here, we investigated whether variations in the body condition of common lady beetle species (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) can be explained by the composition and configuration of the surrounding landscape. Assuming strong seasonal variation in food availability in intensively farmed regions, we included the entire period of lady beetle activity in our study.Methods: Lady beetles were collected from April to September 2011 in 30 landscapes in southern Wisconsin, USA. We examined how body size, body density, and lipid content of the beetles responded to the percentage of intensive cropland, habitat diversity, and edge density in the surrounding landscape.Results: The strongest predictor of body condition was the percentage of intensive cropland. For every 10% increase in cropland, body density decreased by about 3.9% and fat content by 6.4%. Landscape diversity and edge density correlated with body condition of individual species.Conclusions: In agriculturally intensified landscapes, lady beetles with reduced body condition may produce fewer offspring, have lower survival rates, and exert less effective pest control. Thus, our results suggest a mechanistic link between landscape patterns and observed declines in lady beetle populations. Our results also show that the expansion of monocultures affects even common cropland-associated species such as Harmonia axyridis, suggesting a long-term decline in biocontrol services in simplified agricultural landscapes.

scholarly journals Interactions of ants with native and invasive lady beetles and the role of chemical cues in intraguild interference

Chemoecology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roman Bucher ◽  
Laura M. Japke ◽  
Ayse Gül Ünlü ◽  
Florian Menzel
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Harmonia Axyridis ◽  
Species Recognition ◽  
Lady Beetle ◽  
Lasius Niger ◽  
Beetle Species ◽  
Beetle Elytra ◽  
Lady Beetles ◽  
Ant Aggression

AbstractThe predator-predator naïveté hypothesis suggests that non-native predators benefit from being unknown to native predators, resulting in reduced intraguild interference with native predators. This novelty advantage should depend on the ability of native predators to recognize cues of non-native predators. Here, we compared ant aggression and lady beetle reaction in four native and the invasive lady beetle species Harmonia axyridis. In addition, we tested whether lady beetle cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are involved in species recognition, which might explain naïveté if the invasive species has a specific CHC profile. To this end, we conducted behavioral assays confronting two native ant species with both living lady beetles and lady beetle elytra bearing or lacking CHCs of different lady beetle species. Finally, we characterized CHC profiles of the lady beetles using GC–MS. In general, the aggression of Lasius niger was more frequent than that of Myrmica rubra and L. niger aggression was more frequent towards most native lady beetle species compared to H. axyridis. The removal of CHCs from lady beetle elytra reduced aggression of both ant species. If CHCs of respective lady beetle species were added on cue-free elytra, natural strength of L. niger aggression could be restored. CHC analyses revealed a distinct cue composition for each lady beetle species. Our experiments demonstrate that the presence of chemical cues on the surface of lady beetles contribute to the strength of ant aggression against lady beetles. Reduced aggression of L. niger towards H. axyridis and reduced avoidance behavior in H. axyridis compared to the equally voracious C. septempunctata might improve the invasive lady beetle’s access to ant-tended aphids.

scholarly journals Individual and demographic consequences of reduced body condition following repeated exposure to high temperatures

Ecology ◽  
2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet L. Gardner ◽  
Tatsuya Amano ◽  
William J. Sutherland ◽  
Mark Clayton ◽  
Anne Peters
Keyword(s):  
High Temperatures ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Repeated Exposure ◽  
Reduced Body

scholarly journals Review of lady beetles in the Cycloneda germainii species complex (Coleoptera; Coccinellidae: Coccinellinae: Coccinellini) with descriptions of new and unusual species from Chile and surrounding countries

Zootaxa ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 1311 (1) ◽  
pp. 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
GUILLERMO GONZÁLEZ ◽  
NATALIA J. VANDENBERG
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Species Complex ◽  
Lady Beetle ◽  
Valid Species ◽  
Beetle Species ◽  
Lady Beetles ◽  
Three New Species

A complex of lady beetle species including Cycloneda germainii (Crotch) is reviewed and seven valid species recognized, including C. germainii, C. eryngii (Mulsant), C. sicardi (Brèthes), C. boliviana (Mulsant), and three new species, C. lacrimosa González & Vandenberg, n. sp., C. disconsolata Vandenberg & González, n. sp., and C. patagonica González & Vandenberg, n. sp.

scholarly journals ANALYZING LAND USE PATTERN CHANGES IN MUKIM PENGERANG, JOHOR, MALAYSIA

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 229
Author(s):  
Noordini Binti Che Man ◽  
Anis Farhan Binti Salihin
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Diversity Index ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Urban Land Use ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Landscape Patterns ◽  
Edge Density ◽  
Spatiotemporal Pattern ◽  
Land Use Pattern ◽  
Use Pattern

Urbanization and urban land-use transition have a competitive environment to ensure and provide good facilities for citizen benefit. The landscape patterns resulting from urbanization effect processes at local, regional, and global scales. Quantifying the spatiotemporal pattern of urbanization is important for understanding its ecological impacts and can provide basic information for appropriate decision-making. The growth of urbanization in Mukim Pengerang, Johor, has undergone rapid changes in agriculture, settlements, townships and various activities. The changes of land use take place in Mukim Pengerang due to the rapid economic development, especially in industrializations which are Refinery and Petrochemical Integrated Development (RAPID) project and Pengerang Integrated Petroleum Complex (PIPC). The industrialization boosts the growth in land property and commercial which progressing in rapid development since the year 2012, in resulting whether it can give good, bad or both impact to the human and surrounding. Therefore, the main aim of this paper is to quantify the changes in landscape pattern or land use pattern between the year 2008 and 2017 occurred in Mukim Pengerang. In monitoring the spatial pattern changes, and the changes of landscape structure, the metrics landscape were analyzed with determination of the Shanon Diversity Index (SHDI), the number of patches (NP), Edge Density (ED) and Total Edge (TE) in the period of 8 years. The results show that the changes occurred with the three types of land use showed significant changes in the types of land use which are forest, agricultural and built-up area. The result of SHDI analysis shows the increment value between the year 2008 and 2017. This situation illustrates that the higher value of SHDI for an area, resulting in the higher level of land use. This is because the growing pattern of land use is reflected by a large number of patches due to the diversification of land use activities in the area. As a result, from the metrics statistics test verifies there was a significant change in land use that took place within 8 years.

scholarly journals Costly parasite resistance: a genotype-dependent handicap in sand lizards?

2005 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 375-377 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mats Olsson ◽  
Erik Wapstra ◽  
Thomas Madsen ◽  
Beata Ujvari ◽  
Carl Rugfelt
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Blood Stream ◽  
Encounter Rate ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Adaptive Immune ◽  
Reduced Body ◽  
Histocompatibility Complex ◽  
Secondary Infections ◽  
Specific Restriction ◽  
Lacerta Agilis

Male sand lizards ( Lacerta agilis ) with a specific restriction fragment length polymorphism fragment in their major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genotype (‘O-males’) are more resistant to ectoparasites (a tick, Ixodes ricinus ) than are males that lack this fragment (‘NO-males’). However, emerging evidence suggests that such adaptive immune responses are costly, here manifested by reduced body condition and a compromised defence against secondary infections by haemoprotid parasites that use the ticks as vectors. Subsequent to tick encounter, O-males suffer from a higher leucocyte–erythrocyte ratio, and higher haemoprotid parasitaemia, in particular in relation to vector encounter rate. Furthermore, O-males (i.e. successful tick defenders) with more haemoprotid parasites remaining in their blood stream were in better body condition, whereas this did not apply in NO-males, demonstrating that the adaptive immunoreaction can—in the short term—be energetically even more costly than being moderately parasitized. In agreement with Zahavian handicap theory, O-males had a (marginally) higher reproductive success than males that lacked this fragment.

scholarly journals Competition for Aphid Prey between Different Lady Beetle Species in a Laboratory Arena

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christy Leppanen ◽  
Andrei Alyokhin ◽  
Serena Gross
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Harmonia Axyridis ◽  
Coccinella Septempunctata ◽  
Lady Beetle ◽  
Macrosiphum Euphorbiae ◽  
Beetle Species ◽  
Lady Beetles ◽  
Aphid Prey ◽  
Aphid Consumption ◽  
Asymmetric Interactions

Direct competition for aphid prey (Hemiptera: Aphididae) was evaluated between and among several lady beetle species (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). The behavior of three native (Coccinella trifasciata, Coleomegilla maculata,andHippodamia convergens) and four nonnative (Coccinella septempunctata,Harmonia axyridis,Hippodamia variegata,andPropylea quatuordecimpunctata) lady beetles was observed in laboratory arenas. The beetles were kept alone, paired with conspecifics or paired with heterospecifics, and presented with potato aphids (Macrosiphum euphorbiae).Harmonia axyridiswas the most successful aphid predator in our study, being able to find aphids more quickly and consume more of them compared to most other lady beetle species. It was also by far the most aggressive of the tested species.Coccinella septempunctata, C. trifasciata,andC. maculatagenerally followedH. axyridisin aphid consumption. Prey discovery, consumption, and aggressive behaviors were dependent on which species were present in the arena. Except for the generally superiorH. axyridis, there was no obvious dominance hierarchy among the other tested species and no dichotomy between the native and non-native species. Asymmetric interactions between lady beetle species may affect their abilities to coexist in the same habitat.

Differences in growth rate, body condition, habitat use and food availability between island and mainland lizard populations ofAnolis nebulosusin Jalisco, Mexico

2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 493-501 ◽  
Author(s):  
Héctor Hugo Siliceo-Cantero ◽  
Andrés García
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Habitat Use ◽  
Food Availability ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Geographic Isolation ◽  
Seasonal Fluctuations ◽  
Continental Population ◽  
Two Populations

Abstract:Lizards of the genusAnolishave been widely studied, however, little is known about the effects of environmental seasonality, food availability and geographic isolation on body condition, growth rate and habitat use of lizards. The existence of an insular and a continental population ofAnolis nebulosus(clouded anole), separated by only 0.47 km, represents an ideal opportunity to address this topic. We compared seasonal fluctuations in food availability (arthropod density) for anoles, as well as body condition, growth rate and habitat use in the two populations. Food availability throughout the year was sampled every 2 mo by trapping arthropods at each site. Lizards were also monitored and measured every 2 mo by surveying three quadrats in each site over 2 y giving a total of 30 visits for each quadrat. Results suggested that composition and density of food supply was similar for the two populations. Nevertheless, food supply responded to seasonality of rainfall, with an increase of 1.5 times during the rainy season. Despite similarity in food availability, insular anoles had body condition that was 5–10 times better, with growth rate twice as fast, and used similar perches. The role of predation, and inter- and intraspecific competition are discussed as possible drivers.

scholarly journals Contribution of landscape metrics to the assessment of scenic quality - the example of the landscape structure plan Havelland/Germany

2009 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 1-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helge Herbst ◽  
Michael Förster ◽  
Birgit Kleinschmit
Keyword(s):  
Landscape Metrics ◽  
Landscape Structure ◽  
Environmental Planning ◽  
Diversity Index ◽  
Structural Diversity ◽  
Objective Evaluation ◽  
Landscape Patterns ◽  
Edge Density ◽  
Aesthetic Quality ◽  
Important Indicator

The scenic quality of a landscape is a natural resource that is to be preserved according to German and international law. One important indicator for the evaluation of this value is the structural diversity of the landscape. Although Landscape Metrics (LM) represent a well-known instrument for the quantification of landscape patterns, they are hardly used in applied landscape and environmental planning. This study shows possibilities for the integration of LM into a commonly used method to assess scenic quality by the example of a Landscape Structure Plan. First results indicate that especially Shannon's Diversity Index and Edge Density are suitable to achieve an objective evaluation of the structural diversity as indicator for scenic quality. The addition of qualitative parameters to the objective structural analysis is discussed. Moreover, the use of landscape scenery units and raster cells as basic geometry has been compared. It shows that LM can support the evaluation of the aesthetic quality in environmental planning, especially when integrated into commonly used evaluation methods.

scholarly journals Aerial photogrammetry and tag-derived tissue density reveal patterns of lipid-store body condition of humpback whales on their feeding grounds

2021 ◽  
Vol 288 (1943) ◽  
pp. 20202307
Author(s):  
Kagari Aoki ◽  
Saana Isojunno ◽  
Charlotte Bellot ◽  
Takashi Iwata ◽  
Joanna Kershaw ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
The Body ◽  
Humpback Whales ◽  
Body Density ◽  
Aerial Photogrammetry ◽  
Free Ranging ◽  
Negatively Buoyant ◽  
Feeding Grounds

Monitoring the body condition of free-ranging marine mammals at different life-history stages is essential to understand their ecology as they must accumulate sufficient energy reserves for survival and reproduction. However, assessing body condition in free-ranging marine mammals is challenging. We cross-validated two independent approaches to estimate the body condition of humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae ) at two feeding grounds in Canada and Norway: animal-borne tags ( n = 59) and aerial photogrammetry ( n = 55). Whales that had a large length-standardized projected area in overhead images (i.e. whales looked fatter) had lower estimated tissue body density (TBD) (greater lipid stores) from tag data. Linking both measurements in a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate the true underlying (hidden) tissue body density (uTBD), we found uTBD was lower (−3.5 kg m −3 ) in pregnant females compared to adult males and resting females, while in lactating females it was higher (+6.0 kg m −3 ). Whales were more negatively buoyant (+5.0 kg m −3 ) in Norway than Canada during the early feeding season, possibly owing to a longer migration from breeding areas. While uTBD decreased over the feeding season across life-history traits, whale tissues remained negatively buoyant (1035.3 ± 3.8 kg m −3 ) in the late feeding season. This study adds confidence to the effectiveness of these independent methods to estimate the body condition of free-ranging whales.

Effect of cotton genotypes on numbers of adult lady beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

1987 ◽  
Vol 108 (3) ◽  
pp. 687-689
Author(s):  
H. L. Bhardwaj ◽  
J. B. Weaver
Keyword(s):  
Control Measure ◽  
Heliothis Zea ◽  
Lady Beetle ◽  
Coleomegilla Maculata ◽  
Cotton Pests ◽  
Calcium Arsenate ◽  
Lady Beetles ◽  
Cotton Genotypes ◽  
Small Container ◽  
Cotton Fields

Predatory arthropods can play an important role in the natural control of cotton pests, including bollworms (Heliothis zea Boddie and H. virescens F.). Smith & Fontenot (1942) reported that widespread use of calcium arsenate in cotton fields reduced the number of coccinellids, which resulted in increased damage by pests. Ewing & Ivy (1943) confined several predacious insects collected from cotton (individually in jelly glasses fitted with slightly moistened blotting paper) and supplied them daily with eggs deposited by insectary-reared bollworm moths. The maximum number of eggs destroyed in a day by a single adult of the convergent lady beetle (Hippodama convergent Guerin-Meneville) was 275. Adults of another species of lady beetle (Coleomegilla fuscilabris Muls.) frequently consumed all the eggs given them, an adult on average consuming 22 eggs per day. All the 12 species of predacious insects found in cotton fields survived on bollworm eggs. Whitcomb & Bell (1964) showed that the three most common lady beetles in cotton fields in Arkansas were: (1) spotted lady beetles (Coleomegilla maculata De Geer), (2) convergent lady beetles, and (3) ninespotted lady beetles (Ciccinella novemnotata Herbst). They recorded 24 species of lady beetles, all feeding on lepidopterous eggs including those of bollworms. Many of these predators were captured while feeding on small bollworm larvae. Van den Bosch & Kagen (1966) proposed guidelines for the mass releases of convergent lady beetle adults as a pest control measure in cotton. Lingren, Ridgway & Jones (1968) reported from small-container experiments that adult females of convergent lady beetles consumed an average of 129·9 bollworm eggs per day.

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