Specialization of a syrphid predator, Heringia calcarata, on woolly apple aphid was investigated in laboratory and field experiments. Feeding studies comparing the suitability of three temporally sympatric aphid species in Virginia apple orchards showed that survivorship of H. calcarata larvae was significantly higher on woolly apple aphid. In pair-wise choice tests, larval H. calcarata consumed significantly more woolly apple aphids than other species. The voracity of larval H. calcarata on woolly apple aphid is reported. Colonies of the three aphid species collected from apple orchards at regular intervals showed that 1. two generalist syrphid predators deposited eggs in colonies of all species, 2. H. calcarata eggs and larvae were only found in colonies of woolly apple aphid and 3. the abundance of H. calcarata eggs and larvae in woolly apple aphid colonies greatly exceeded that of other aphidophagous syrphids.
Species 1: Diptera Syrphidae Heringia calcarata
Species 2: Homoptera Aphididae Eriosoma lanigerum (woolly apple aphid)
Keywords: biological control, apple
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