Semiochemical footprints of the predaceous coccinellid beetle, Menochilus sexmaculatus, deter Zygogramma bicolorata (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) from feeding on Parthenium

ABSTRACT

Present study assessed if semiochemical cues left by an aphidophagous beetle, M. sexmaculatus influenced foraging behaviour of a phytophagous beetle, Z. bicolorata on noxious weed, P. hysterophorus. The lower predation attributes of Z. bicolorata in presence of M. sexmaculatus semiochemical footprints confirms they interfere with weed biological control.

KEYWORDS:

• Semiochemicals
• Chrysomelidae
• Coccinellidae
• Aphids
• Parthenium

Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to UGC-CAS and DST-FIST funded Department of Zoology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi for laboratory facilities. The authors are also thankful to the two anonymous reviewers for critically going through the manuscript and providing fruitful suggestions. Bhupendra Kumar is also thankful to the University’s and UGC-BSR start-up grants for financial assistance.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.