Alternative prey and farming system mediate predation of Colorado potato beetles by generalists.

BACKGROUND: Biological control by generalist predators can be mediated by the abundance and biodiversity of alternative prey. When alternative prey draw predator attacks away from the control target, they can weaken pest suppression. In other cases, a diverse prey base can promote predator abundance and biodiversity, reduce predator-predator interference, and benefit biocontrol. Here, we used molecular gut-content analysis to assess how community composition altered predation of Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say)) by Nabis sp. and Geocoris sp. Predators were collected from organic or conventional potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) fields, encouraging differences in arthropod community composition. RESULTS: In organic fields, Nabis predation of potato beetles decreased with increasing arthropod richness and predator abundance. This is consistent with Nabis predators switching to other prey species when available and with growing predator-predator interference. In conventional fields these patterns were reversed, however, with potato beetle predation by Nabis increasing with greater arthropod richness and predator abundance. For Geocoris, Colorado potato beetle predation was more frequent in organic than in conventional fields. However, Geocoris predation of beetles was less frequent in fields with higher abundance of the detritus-feeding fly Scaptomyza pallida Zetterstedt, or of all arthropods, consistent with predators choosing other prey when available. CONCLUSION: Alternative prey generally dampened predation of potato beetles, suggesting these pests were less-preferred prey. Nabis and Geocoris differed in which alternative prey were most disruptive to feeding on potato beetles, and in the effects of farm management on predation, consistent with the two predator species occupying complementary feeding niches. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Molecular diagnosis of a previously unreported predator-prey association in coffee: Karnyothrips flavipes Jones (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae) predation on the coffee berry borer.

The coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei, is the most important pest of coffee throughout the world, causing losses estimated at US $500 million/year. The thrips Karnyothrips flavipes was observed for the first time feeding on immature stages of H. hampei in April 2008 from samples collected in the Kisii area of Western Kenya. Since the trophic interactions between H. hampei and K. flavipes are carried out entirely within the coffee berry, and because thrips feed by liquid ingestion, we used molecular gut-content analysis to confirm the potential role of K. flavipes as a predator of H. hampei in an organic coffee production system. Species-specific COI primers designed for H. hampei were shown to have a high degree of specificity for H. hampei DNA and did not produce any PCR product from DNA templates of the other insects associated with the coffee agroecosystems. In total, 3,327 K. flavipes emerged from 17,792 H. hampei-infested berries collected from the field between April and September 2008. Throughout the season, 8.3% of K. flavipes tested positive for H. hampei DNA, although at times this figure approached 50%. Prey availability was significantly correlated with prey consumption, thus indicating the potential impact on H. hampei populations.