Behavioral response of Coccinella septempunctata (L.) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) to plant volatiles infested by a chewing herbivore, Epilachna vigintioctopunctata versus a sucking pest, Aphis gossypii
Jayanthi Chandrika Premawardhane and Takatoshi Ueno
Plants modify the volatile profile in response to herbivore damage, which can influence the foraging behavior of predators in tri-trophic interactions. This study aimed to investigate the olfactory response of the ladybird predator Coccinella septempunctata to cucumber, bean, potato, and brinjal leaves infested by a normal prey, Aphis gossypii, and an alternative prey, Epilachna vigintioctopuncata. An olfactometer bioassay was applied for this investigation using the four plants with or without infestation by the two herbivorous prey having different feeding guilds. The behavioral response was analyzed in terms of selectiveness and readiness in the olfactometer test. Our study found that C. septempunctata attracted selectively to leaves damaged by either aphids or Epilachna over undamaged leaves, but the magnitude of attraction depended on plant species. In terms of selectiveness, the ladybird did not distinguish between leaves infested by the two herbivores, however, it responded more quickly to aphid-infested plants than plants infested by the alternative prey. Plants infested simultaneously by both herbivores were more attractive in terms of readiness than those damaged by A. gossypii or E. vigintioctopunctata alone in three plants except bean plants. Thus, it is evident that the ladybird beetle uses volatiles emitted from damaged plants to locate its prey. The present study highlights that the behavioral response of C. septempunctata to herbivore-induced plant volatiles is complex and can depend on plant species and herbivore types. Our study also suggests the potential of C. septempunctata as a predator in the biological control of E. vigintioctopunctata for cucumber and potato fields.