title: Linking Life Table and Predation Rate for Biological Control: A Comparative Study of Eocanthecona furcellata (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) Fed on Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae).
abstract: To better understand the predator-prey relationship and to compare predation rates, we studied the life table and predation rate of the predator Eocanthecona furcellata Wolff (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) when reared on two major crucifer pests, Spodoptera litura (F.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Plutella xylostella L. (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae). The net reproductive rate, intrinsic rate of increase, finite rate, and net predation rates of E. furcellata reared on P. xylostella were 292.4 offspring, 0.1389 d(-1), 1.1490 d(-1), and 644.1 third instars of P. xylostella, respectively. These values are significantly higher than those reared on S. litura, i.e., 272.3 offspring, 0.1220 d(-1), 1.1298 d(-1), and 863.1 third instars of S. litura. To evaluate the predation potential of E. furcellata fed on P. xylostella and S. litura, we combined both the growth rate and predation rate to calculate the finite predation rate (ω); our results showed that E. furcellata is an effective predator of both S. litura (ω = 1.6029) and P. xylostella (ω = 1.4277).
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan, Republic of China (sjtuan@dragon.nchu.edu.tw; yehsnake@yahoo.com.tw; hsinchi@dragon.nchu.edu.tw).
authors.forename: Shu-Jen
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Tuan
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan, Republic of China (sjtuan@dragon.nchu.edu.tw; yehsnake@yahoo.com.tw; hsinchi@dragon.nchu.edu.tw).
authors.forename: Chih-Chun
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Yuzuncu Yil, 65080 Van, Turkey (ratlihan@yyu.edu.tr), and.
authors.forename: Remzi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Atlihan
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan, Republic of China (sjtuan@dragon.nchu.edu.tw; yehsnake@yahoo.com.tw; hsinchi@dragon.nchu.edu.tw), hsinchi@dragon.nchu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Hsin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D020062:Heteroptera / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D007814:Larva / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D015993:Life Tables; D008297:Male; D009036:Moths / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D009758:Nymph / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D010572:Pest Control, Biological; D011235:Predatory Behavior; D018411:Spodoptera / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Eocanthecona furcellata; Plutella xylostella; Spodoptera litura; predation rate; two-sex life table