Durieux Delphine, Fassotte Bérénice, Deneubourg Jean-Louis, Brostaux Yves, Vandereycken Axel, Joie Emilie, Haubruge Eric, Verheggen François J
Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liege, Gembloux, Belgium.
Unit of Social Ecology, Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
Insect Sci. 2015 Oct;22(5):670-8. doi: 10.1111/1744-7917.12144. Epub 2014 Nov 26.
The invasive multicolored Asian ladybeetle, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), aggregates inside dwellings during winter to avoid cold weather. This adaptive behavior disturbs homeowners, because of the large numbers of individuals that aggregate, which induces allergic reactions. The migratory flight patterns of this species have been well documented, with individuals preferentially moving toward prominent and high color contrast elements. However, the factors involved in the selection of aggregation sites by this species have yet to be elucidated. Here, we evaluated the influence of (i) the density of individuals and (ii) the type of available shelters on decisions by H. axyridis to settle and aggregate under shelters. A dual choice bioassay conducted in the laboratory demonstrated the presence of mutual attraction to conspecifics. We also found that individuals preferentially settled under red covered shelters compared to transparent shelters, and that the type of shelter outweighed the effect of social interactions among conspecifics. Moreover, this experiment was performed under non-wintering conditions, providing the first evidence that aggregative behavior in this species can also occur under those specific conditions.
入侵性的多色亚洲瓢虫，异色瓢虫（哈氏）（鞘翅目：瓢虫科），在冬季会聚集在住宅内以躲避寒冷天气。这种适应性行为给房主带来困扰，因为大量聚集的个体可能引发过敏反应。该物种的迁飞模式已有充分记录，个体倾向于朝着突出且颜色对比度高的元素移动。然而，该物种选择聚集地点所涉及的因素尚未阐明。在此，我们评估了（i）个体密度和（ii）可用庇护所类型对异色瓢虫在庇护所下定居和聚集决策的影响。在实验室进行的双选生物测定表明，该物种对同种个体存在相互吸引力。我们还发现，与透明庇护所相比，个体更倾向于在红色覆盖的庇护所下定居，并且庇护所类型比同种个体间的社会互动影响更大。此外，该实验是在非越冬条件下进行的，这首次证明了该物种的聚集行为在这些特定条件下也会发生。
