AN APPRAISAL OF METHODS OF SAMPLING APPLE TREES AND RESULTS OF SOME TESTS USING A SAMPLING UNIT COMMON TO INSECT PREDATORS AND THEIR PREY

Abstract

Current methods of sampling predator and prey populations on apple trees use two different indexes to measure the comparative abundance of each. Techniques are sought that relate the proportions of one to the other in the sampling universe (the orchard) in a quantitative manner. The most important criterion is that the sampling unit be one common to both predator and prey species and encompass representative portions of the habitat of each. The whole tree meets this criterion but it is too cumbersome to samplein toto. The large limb was, therefore, appraised for feasibility as a basic sampling unit common to many species. All clusters were counted and the predators and prey expressed as numbers per 100 clusters. The whole limb was examined for insect predators but only a representative portion of it was used in estimating mite populations. The test prey species was the European red mite,Panonychus ulmi(Koch), and the predators a small number of active insect species, mostlyDiaphnocoris pellucida(Uhler) andAnthocoris musculus(Say). It was found that the numbers of mites on randomly chosen clusters from a limb were representative of the total population of mites on a limb but the associated variation was high. Samples of relatively uniform (standard) clusters of good vigour overestimated the mite population. Some other causes of variation were also examined and are discussed. A 2-year orchard test showed it was feasible to estimate the abundance of both mites and predators on a common basis and thus obtain a measure of the ratio of mites to predators in the sampling universe.