Behavior and Predatory Ability of Several Predatory Insects at Different Prey Densities
DOI:
10.29303/jbt.v26i2.10757Published:
2026-05-04Downloads
Abstract
Understanding predator behavior and predation capacity is essential for determining their potential as biological control agents. This study aimed to evaluate the searching time, handling time, and predation ability of three predators Syrphidae larvae, Coccinella sp. larvae, and Curinus coeruleus adults at different prey densities. Five prey-density treatments (5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 individuals) were tested using3 Heteropsylla cubana as prey for C. coeruleus and Rhopalosiphum maidis for Syrphidae and Coccinella sp. The results showed that increasing prey density significantly shortened the searching time of all predators. C. coeruleus demonstrated the fastest searching ability, followed by Syrphidae and Coccinella sp. Handling time also varied among predators, with C. coeruleus requiring the shortest time due to its chewing-type mouthparts, compared with the piercing–sucking mouthparts of Syrphidae and Coccinella sp. Predation capacity differed across predators; only C. coeruleus successfully consumed all prey at every density within 6 hours, while the other predators reached satiation at higher densities. Overall, C. coeruleus exhibited the highest efficiency across all parameters, indicating its strong potential as an effective biological control agent. Increasing prey density consistently enhanced predation activity, highlighting the importance of prey availability in predator effectiveness.
Keywords:
Biological control Predator behavior Prey density Curinus coeruleus Predation abilityReferences
Bale, J. S., van Lenteren, J. C., & Bigler, F. (2008). Biological control and sustainable food production. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 23(9), 520–527. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2008.05.001
Barraquand, F., & Gimenez, O. (2021). Predators’ functional response: Biological interpretation of the handling time. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2021.740848
Begon, M., Townsend, C. R., & Harper, J. L. (2006). Ecology: From individuals to ecosystems. Blackwell Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781444313765
Coblentz, K. E., & DeLong, J. P. (2021). Estimating predator functional responses using the times between prey captures. Ecology, 102(4), e03307. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.3307
Dunn, R. P., & Hovel, K. A. (2020). Predator type influences the frequency of functional responses to prey in marine habitats. Biology Letters. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2019.0758
Follett, P. A., & Roderick, G. K. (2009). Genetic estimates of dispersal ability in the leucaena psyllid predator Curinus coeruleus. Bulletin of Entomological Research, 99(3), 287–294. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007485300034933
Gonthier, J., Zhang, Y. B., Zhang, G. F., Romeis, J., & Collatz, J. (2023). Odor learning improves efficacy of egg parasitoids as biocontrol agents against Tuta absoluta. Journal of Pest Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10340-022-01484-6
Gurr, G. M., Wratten, S. D., Snyder, W. E., & Read, D. M. Y. (2017). Biodiversity and insect pests: Key issues for sustainable management. Biological Control, 104, 1–3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2016.09.002
Heimpel, G. E., & Mills, N. J. (2017). Biological control: Ecology and applications. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781139029117
Hodek, I., & Honěk, A. (2009). Scale insects, mealybugs, whiteflies and psyllids (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha) as prey of ladybirds. Biological Control, 51(2), 232–243. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2009.05.018
Holling, C. S. (1959). Some characteristics of simple types of predation and parasitism. The Canadian Entomologist, 91(7), 385–398. https://doi.org/10.4039/Ent91385-7
Hossie, T. J., & Murray, D. L. (2023). New perspectives and emerging directions in predator–prey functional response research. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2023.1238953
Islam, Y., Shah, F. M., Güncan, A., DeLong, J. P., & Zhou, X. (2022). Functional response of Harmonia axyridis to the larvae of Spodoptera litura: The combined effect of temperatures and prey instars. Frontiers in Plant Science. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2022.849574
Jachowicz, N., Jacobsen, S. K., & Sigsgaard, L. (2025). Molecular gut content analysis reveals predator feeding preferences and potential for biological control of aphids in sugar beet fields. BioControl, 70, 627–638. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-025-10334-0
Mirande, L., Desneux, N., Haramboure, M., & Schneider, M. I. (2015). Intraguild predation between an exotic and a native coccinellid in Argentina: The role of developmental stage. Biological Control, 90, 31–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2015.05.006
Nelly, N., Trizelia, T., & Syuhadah, Q. (2015). Functional response of Menochilus sexmaculatus to Aphis gossypii. Jurnal Entomologi Indonesia, 9(1), 23–31. https://doi.org/10.5994/jei.9.1.23
Omkar, & Pervez, A. (2004). Functional and numerical responses of a generalist predatory ladybird, Propylea dissecta. Journal of Applied Entomology, 128(2), 140–146. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0418.2004.00821.x
Qin, Z., Wu, J., Qiu, B., Ali, S., & Cuthbertson, A. G. S. (2019). The impact of Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) on control of Dysmicoccus neobrevipes Beardsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae). Insects, 10(5), 131. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects10050131
Radiyanto, I., Rahayuningtias, S., & Widhianingtyas, E. (2015). Predatory ability of Menochilus sexmaculatus F. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) on Rhopalosiphum maidis Fitch (Homoptera: Aphididae). Jurnal Entomologi Indonesia. https://doi.org/10.5994/jei.8.1.1
Rakshith, H. S., Suroshe, S. S., Chander, S., Rao, C. N., & Deshmukh, A. J. (2021). Bionomics of transverse ladybird beetle Coccinella transversalis Fabricius on cowpea aphid Aphis craccivora. Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 91(9), 1348–1352. https://doi.org/10.56093/ijas.v91i9.116091
Reeves, L. A., Garratt, M. P. D., Fountain, M. T., & Senapathi, D. (2024). A whole ecosystem approach to pear psyllid (Cacopsylla pyri) management in a changing climate. Journal of Pest Science, 97(3), 1203–1226. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10340-024-01772-3
Rivas, M. J., Cabello, T., Fernández-Maldonado, F. J., & Vila, E. (2024). A predator–prey population dynamics simulation for biological control of Frankliniella occidentalis by Orius laevigatus. Biological Control, 188, 105409. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2023.105409
Sierra-Monroy, J. A., Deere, J. A., Muñoz Cárdenas, K. A., Montserrat, M., & Janssen, A. (2025). A predatory mite as potential biological control agent of the invasive Thrips parvispinus. BioControl, 70, 759–770. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-025-10343-z
Silva, P. G., Hagen, K. S., & Gutierrez, A. P. (1992). Functional response of Curinus coeruleus (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) to Heteropsylla cubana (Homoptera: Psyllidae) on artificial and natural substrates. Entomophaga. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02373847
Solomon, M. E. (1975). Review of biological control by natural enemies. Experimental Agriculture, 11(2), 159–160. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0014479700006621
van Lenteren, J. C. (2012). The state of commercial augmentative biological control: Plenty of natural enemies, but a frustrating lack of uptake. BioControl, 57(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-011-9395-1
Williams, A. C., & Flaxman, S. M. (2012). Can predators assess the quality of their prey’s resource? Animal Behaviour, 83(4), 883–890. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.01.008
Yasin, N. (2006). Development and predation ability of Curinus coeruleus. Jurnal Hama dan Penyakit Tumbuhan Tropika, 6(2), 79–86. https://doi.org/10.23960/j.hptt.2679-86
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Junianto S. Batubara, Riska Romaito Nasution, Yosua Pangihutan Pardamean Alextio Sianturi, Mario Pani, Muhammad Sayuthi
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Jurnal Biologi Tropis is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The copyright of the received article shall be assigned to the author as the owner of the paper. The intended copyright includes the right to publish the article in various forms (including reprints). The journal maintains the publishing rights to the published articles.
Authors are permitted to disseminate published articles by sharing the link/DOI of the article at the journal. Authors are allowed to use their articles for any legal purposes deemed necessary without written permission from the journal with an acknowledgment of initial publication to this journal.
