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Journal of Tea Science ›› 2025, Vol. 45 ›› Issue (1): 87-98.doi: 10.13305/j.cnki.jts.2025.01.009

• Research Paper • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Predation and Predilection of Eocanthecona furcellata to Larvae of Scopula subpunctaria (Lepidoptera: Geometridae)

CHEN Junhua1,2, WEN Xinru1, WANG Chenxu1, ZHANG Qiaoqiao1, LIU Hongmin1,2, NING Wanguang1, GUO Shibao1,2,*   

  1. 1. Xinyang Agriculture and Forestry University, Xinyang 464000, China;
    2. Dabie Mountains Laboratory, Xinyang 464000, China
  • Received:2024-09-29 Revised:2024-11-07 Online:2025-02-15 Published:2025-03-03

Abstract: The present study aimed to evaluate the biological control potential of Eocanthecona furcellata against the 2nd to 4th instar Scopula subpunctaria larvae. Indoor experiments were conducted to determine the predatory functional responses and searching efficiency of male and female adults of E. furcellata on 2nd-4th instar S. subpunctaria larvae. Additionally, the intraspecific interference effects of male and female adults of E. furcellata on the 3rd-4th instar S. subpunctaria larvae were investigated, as well as the predatory preferences of male and female adults of E. furcellata and 5th instar nymphs towards larvae of Ectropis grisescens and S. subpunctaria . The results show that both male and female adults of the E. furcellata were able to prey on the 2nd-4th instar S. subpunctaria larvae, and the predation response was consistent with the Holling Ⅱ and Holling Ⅲ models. The control efficiency of male and female adults of the E. furcellat against the S. subpunctaria is shown as female adults>male adults, with the female adult of the E. furcellat having the highest control efficiency against the 2nd instar S. subpunctaria (37.044). In the fitted Holling Ⅲ model, the daily maximum predation rates for the 2nd instar S. subpunctaria larvae were 15.823 and 12.547, respectively, and the optimal searching densities were 4.971 and 6.836 per box, respectively. The searching effect of the E. furcellat on S. subpunctaria larvae indicates that the searching efficiency gradually increased with the decrease of prey density. In addition, in the presence of both the E. grisesens and the S. subpunctaria, both male and female adults and 5th instar nymphs of E. furcellata preferred to feed on the S. subpunctaria larvae. At the same time, the predation of S. subpunctaria larvae by male and female adults of the E. furcella was affected by their own density, and the interference coefficient when preying on the 3rd instar S. subpunctaria larvae was greater than that preying on the 4th instar S. subpunctaria larvae. This result provided a research basis for the biological control application of the E. furcellat in tea gardens.

Key words: Eocanthecona furcellat, Scopola subpunctaria, functional response, predatory preference, intraspecific interference

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