Functional response of female and male rove beetle Paederus (Heteropaederus) fuscipes Curtis (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) preying on nymphs of brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) (Hemiptera: Delphacidae)
Journal
TAIWANIA
Journal Volume
70
Journal Issue
4
Start Page
733
End Page
739
ISSN
0372-333X
Date Issued
2025-11-11
Author(s)
Abstract
Paederus fuscipes (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) is a potential natural enemy of the brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) in rice fields. This study evaluated the sex-specific functional responses of P. fuscipes to first-, third-, and fifth-instar nymphs using Rogers' random predator equation. Logistic regression confirmed a type II functional response across all instars, indicating a decelerating rate of prey consumption with increasing prey density. Females exhibited a higher attack rate on first instars (a = 2.14436 h-1) than males (a = 1.32626 h-1) and a longer handling time on fifth instars (Th = 0.15024 h vs. 0.13574 h). These findings suggest that females may exert stronger predation pressure on early instars, while both sexes contribute to pest suppression across nymphal stages. The study highlights the importance of considering predator sex in the design of integrated pest management programs. Furthermore, results provide insights into optimizing the use of P. fuscipes in conservation-and augmentative-based biological control strategies, potentially enhancing the sustainability and effectiveness of rice pest management.
Subjects
biological control
functional response
brown planthopper
rice
rove beetle
Publisher
National Taiwan University & Biodiversity Association of Taiwan
Type
journal article