Assessing the predation dynamics of three coccinellid species on (Sulzer): a functional response perspective.

Understanding of predators functional responses is critical in assessing their efficiency as biological control agents. This study investigates the functional responses of three coccinellid predators Sicard (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), Crotch (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), and Weise (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) against varying densities of the prey aphid, (Hemiptera: Aphididae) under controlled conditions (25 ± 1°C temperature, 70 ± 5% relative humidity and 14 L:10D photoperiod). Predation trials across different prey densities were performed with these adult coccinellid predators. Logistic regression analysis confirmed a Type II functional response for all the three species used in the experiments. Among the three, showed a superior predatory efficiency, with the highest attack rate () (0.0994 h), shortest handling time () (0.5016 h) and a maximum theoretical predation rate () of 48.76 aphids. and showed lower predatory parameters, positioning as the most efficient predator. These findings underscore as a promising candidate for biological control of , with a clear advantage in predation metrics over ( = 0.0876 h; = 0.5193 h; = 48.27 aphids) and (a = 0.0695 h; = 0.5316 h; = 47.97 aphids). However, further field validation is essential to assess its real-world efficacy, considering environmental variability and complex ecological interactions.