Student Poster Display
Plant-Insect Ecosystems
Student
Student Competition
Ayax Del Valle Sanchez
Graduate Research Assitant
Montana State University
Bozeman, Montana
Sara Hermann
Assistant Research Professor
The Pennsylvania State University
University Park, Pennsylvania
Jessica Kansman (she/her/hers)
Assistant Professor
Montana State University
Bozeman, Montana
Abstract
Predator-prey interactions are significant drivers of animal communities, population dynamics, and ecosystem function. Traditionally, we consider how predators influence prey populations via their consumptive capacity, but predators also affect prey populations by triggering changes in prey behavior and physiology through non-consumptive effects or predation risk effects. With insects, olfactory cues are commonly used to convey information between organisms, and it’s been shown that insects may also tap into odor cues to determine predation risk. Our research explores the non-consumptive effects of natural enemies from two different feeding guilds, lady beetles and parasitic wasps, on the behavior and performance of aphids. Specifically, we are focusing on the importance of olfactory cues as a means to detect predation risk. We ask these questions using green peach aphids (Myzus persicae (Sulzer)), the predatory multi-colored Asian lady beetle (Harmonia axyridis), aphid parasitic wasps (Aphidius colemani), and collards (Brassica oleracea) as a system. Previous research has demonstrated that Harmonia axyridis odor cues stimulate significant changes in aphid host-plant decisions, feeding behavior, and population size. However, parasitic wasps and other lady beetles are also potential victims of intraguild predation and may also avoid the chemical cues of other predators. Our research examined how the presence of lady beetle odor cues influences predation and parasitism of aphid populations in greenhouse experiments. This research allows us to understand how predation risk effects can influence other members of the arthropod community, providing essential information if predation risk cues are to be considered for applied uses in pest management.