PREDACEOUS COCCINELLID OVIPOSITION RESPONSES TO JUNIPERUS WOOD

Abstract

In laboratory experiments at Belleville and Guelph, Ont., four species of coccinellids, Cycloneda munda (Say), Adalia bipunctata (L.), Coccinella transversoguttata richardsoni Brown, and Coleomegilla maculata lengi Timberlake, revealed strong attractances to Juniperus virginiana L. (juniper) for oviposition. This attractancy was due to the specific odour of Juniperus wood. Egg laying rates were not affected by distances up to 70 cm in laboratory cages in a greenhouse where temperatures ranged from 24.0° to 29.5 °C. This phenomenon may be used to aggregate ovipositing coccinellid females in places where aphids are expected to occur in damaging numbers.