PREDATION OF APHIDS BY COCCINELLID LARVAE

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Abstract
We studied first and fourth instar larvae of Coccinella trifasciata L., C. Californica Mannerheim, C. undecimpunctata L., and Cycloneda polita Casey searching for Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris) on alfalfa seedlings and for A. dirhodum (Walker) on oat seedlings, in the laboratory. Styles of search varied considerably, but each species of larva could capture aphids on each species of plant. Observed differences in relative abundance of the four species of adult coccinellid in alfalfa and oat fields are not related to the success of their larvae in finding aphids.