Functional response and predation of Nabis kinbergii (Hemiptera: Nabidae) to Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae)

Abstract

The functional response of adult Nabis kinbergii (Hemiptera: Nabidae) to density of diamondback moth Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) was investigated under laboratory conditions. Holling's (1959) type II model was found to be a good fit for the observed functional response of this predator. The numbers of P. xylostella consumed increased with temperature from 15 °C to 3 5 °C. The maximum number of prey killed was observed at 35 °C, with average of 10.3 and 8.3 forth instar larvae consumed by adult females and males of N. kinbergii, respectively. The predation of N. kinbergii on P. xylostella increased with successive immature stages. The number of prey consumed by predators decreased as the body size of prey increased. An average of 131 eggs or 95 larvae of P. xylostella were killed by a single of female adult in 24 hours at 24 °C. The pupae of P. xylostella were observed to be eaten by fifth instar nymphs and adults N. kinbergii in numbers of less than an average of 0.7 pupae per predator in 24 hours at 24 °C. Predation preference by N. kinbergii was also investigated. The number of P. xylostella and Myzus persicae killed by female N. kinbergii was not significantly different, but males killed significantly more P. xylostella than M. persicae. Both eggs and larvae of P. xylostella were killed in significantly greater number than those of Pieris rapae in the same feeding arena.