McKeown, C.H., M. Colunga-Garcia, and S.H. Gage
Presented at the All Scientist Meeting (2002-10-04 )
An area planted with adjacent corn-soybean fields was monitored during the summer of 2000 to determine the habitat preference of dominant Coccinellid predators. An array of 314 sticky traps was set to account for midfield and edge habitat preferences. Insect adults were identified, recorded and removed every week. The dominant species were Harmonia axyridis, Coccinella septempunctata, Coleomegilla maculata, and Cycloneda munda. H. axyridis and C. septempunctata predominated in soybeans. C. maculata was more abundant in corn fields. C. munda was most prevalent in the edges between corn and soybeans. The temporal and spatial distribution observed in this study may reflect the species strategy to minimize competition for available prey.
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