3. Results
3.1. Predator consumption rates
3.2. Aphidoletes aphidimyza and H. axyridis
In the A. aphidimyza and H. axyridis microcosm experiment, aphid populations in the CONTROL and HA treatments, both of which initially contained no predators, rose in the
first 24 h while AA and BOTH treatments which contained A. aphidimyza remained relatively constant during this time period (Fig. 1).
At 27 h, i.e., after introduction and 3 h of feeding by H. axyridis, aphid populations in both the HA and BOTH treatments declined. During its 3 h presence, H. axyridis acted as an intraguild predator, significantly reducing numbers of A. aphidimyza larvae (tD6.87,dfD14, P< 0.0001) in the BOTH treatment. At time 24 h an average of 2.87§0.09 midges were found in the AA and BOTH treatments.
An average of 1.80§0.26 midge larvae