The Buckeye Lady Beetle Blitz: using a citizen science program to investigate the influence of habitat composition on native and exotic coccinellid populations in Ohio

Coccinellids are key predators which provide biocontrol services within natural and managed habitats. Following the establishment of exotic coccinellids in the U.S., a decline in native coccinellid species has been detected. This decline represents a threat to biodiversity and pest management. The goal of this project was to engage volunteers to census native and exotic coccinellid populations across Ohio through the formation of a citizen science program called The Buckeye Lady Beetle Blitz. Volunteers collected coccinellids twice during the early and late summer during 2009 and 2010 from home gardens using yellow sticky traps. Following sample collection, volunteers identified coccinellids on their trap. They then returned their trap and a data sheet to researchers who checked them for accuracy. A Poisson distribution was used to determine if collection during early or late summer influenced coccinellid populations. The landscape surrounding GPS coordinates of each site was classified using the USDA cropland data layer at a spatial scale of 1.5 km. The dimensionality of the landscape data was reduced using a principal component analysis. A Poisson distribution was applied to determine if the variables garden type, garden area, or landscape composition influenced coccinellid abundances. Three species were significantly more abundant in the early summer. Garden type had a significant impact on the presence of three species in early summer and on one species in late summer. It appears that home gardens may provide suitable early season foraging for coccinellids. Garden type appears to influence coccinellid abundances.