Predatory Capacity and Functional Response of Coccinella septempunctata Linnaeus (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) on Ferrisia virgata Cockerell (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae)

The populations of mealybug, Ferrisia virgata Cockerell (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), have begun to increase in the Mexicali Valley, causing economic losses in cotton cultivation. The use of pesticides is the main method for its control, so natural enemies, including Coccinella septempunctata, have not been used to control this pest. Therefore, it is important to study the effectiveness of these organisms in suppressing specific pest species. This study focuses on evaluating the predation capacity and functional response of Coccinella septempunctata Linnaeus (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in targeting Ferrisia virgata females. Consumption capacity was evaluated in adult males and females of C. septempunctata against females of F. virgata under laboratory conditions. The type of functional response was determined for C. septempunctata females by logistic regression analysis and the parameters were estimated by the Rogers model using a non-linear regression. Females of C. septempunctata were more voracious, consuming 2.67 times more prey compared with males. The logistic regression analysis results revealed that the functional response of C. septempunctata to female mealybugs was type II. The estimated attack coefficient and handling time values were 0.0136 h–1 and 2.667 h, respectively. Results indicate that C. septempunctata consumes F. virgata females, and presents a type II functional response, which suggests that it can be evaluated in systems integrated pest management based on augmentative biological control.