Aphis glycines a recent arrival in Michigan is forecasted to become a major pest in soybean. Its arrival in Southern Michigan late in 2000 has created new temporal distribution patterns among the coccinellid predator community. The populations of four species of coccinellid predators were monitored for 18 weeks during the growing seasons of 2001 and 2002 in a mixed corn soybean habitat. An array of 314 traps was sampled weekly and all coccinellids were identified to species and their number and location was recorded. The four dominant members of this family were Harmonia axyridis, Coccinella septempunctata, Coleomegilla maculata, and Cycloneda munda. Aphis glycines was monitored by counting all the individuals present on 5 randomly selected soybean leaves at 64 sampling stations within, or bordering soy fields. The populations of both predators and aphids were mapped to show the temporal and spatial response of the predators to the aphid. The resulting maps indicate a numerical and spatial predator response in all species except Coleomegilla maculata. The predator response also lagged behind the prey population peaks but never by more than a week. Community response by coccinellid predators to Aphis glycines prevents it from reaching harmful population levels
Species 1: Homoptera Aphididae Aphis glycines (soybean aphid)
Species 2: Coleoptera Coccinellidae Harmonia axyridis (asian lady beetle)
Species 3: Coleoptera Coccinellidae Coleomegilla maculata
Keywords: predation, exotic
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