Effect of Prey Density and Insecticides on Prey Consumption by Cyrtophora citricola (Araneae: Araneidae)
Effect of Prey Density and Insecticides on Prey Consumption by Cyrtophora citricola (Araneae: Araneidae)
Muhammad Khalid Mukhtar1,*, Hummaira Iqbal1, Hafiz Muhammad Tahir2, Haseena Ghulam Muhammad1 and Muhammad Irfan1
ABSTRACT
In the present study effects of prey density and sub-lethal doses of two commonly used insecticides i.e., bifenthrin and chlorpyrifos, on the consumption rate of web weaving spider Cyrtophora citricola, was observed. Live spiders for the study were collected from citrus orchards of Sargodha and maintained individually in the laboratory. Both the control and insecticide treated spiders were offered larvae of Drosophila melanogaster in different densities. C. citricola increased prey consumption as the prey density was increased. Insecticide treated C. citricola consumed less prey as compared to control. Effects of chlorpyrifos on the prey consumption of C. citricola were more drastic than bifenthrin. It was also recorded that at low prey density, predation by C. citricola was delayed as compared to higher prey densities. C. citricola showed the type I functional response. It is concluded that both studied insecticides are not suitable for IPM program in the study area.
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August 2018
Vol. 50, Iss. 4, Pages 1199-1600
