The impact of Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle perdation upon soybean aphid population size
2002
- UW-Madison Dept. of Entomology
Project Media
The multicolored Asian lady beetle (MALB) is a generalist predator native to many of the same regions of the eastern hemisphere as the soybean aphid. In some of these areas of soybean production the beetle is considered to be the most important predator of the soybean aphid. Both the larval and adult stages of the beetle are predaceous on aphids and other soft-bodied insects, which they may consume at a rate of over 100 per day. In the past two decades the MALB has become established in the United States, most likely due to intentional biological control introductions. When the soybean aphid was discovered in Wisconsin in 2000, large numbers of MALB larvae and adults were commonly seen feeding on the aphids. We sought to measure the impact this predation may have upon soybean aphid abundance.