BIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS OF PHILONTHUS LONGICORNIS STEPH. (COLEOPTERA: STAPHYLINIDAE) PREYING ON SNAIL, MONACHA OBSTRUCTA PFEIFFER(STYLOMMATOPHORA: HYGROMIIDAE)

BIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS OF PHILONTHUS LONGICORNIS STEPH. (COLEOPTERA: STAPHYLINIDAE) PREYING ON SNAIL, MONACHA OBSTRUCTA PFEIFFER(STYLOMMATOPHORA: HYGROMIIDAE)

Abd- Elgayed, A.A. and N.M.A. El-Khouly

Plant Prot. Dept., Fac. of Agric., Fayoum Univ.

Key Words: Philonthus longicornis- Monach obstructa- Biological control- aspects - Snails.

ABSTRACT:

Certain biological aspects of the Staphylinid predator, Philonthus longicornisSteph. (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) had been studies when preyed on many insect larvae (e.g. Diptera, Coleoptera and Lepidoptera), however these studies on snails and slugs are few. So, the present work was studied the biological parameters of P. longicornis preying on the terrestrial snail, Monacha obstructa Pfeiffer (Stylommatophora: Hygromiidae) under laboratory conditions. Duration of mature and immature stages and preying capacity of M. obstructa were investigated at degree of temperature (20±1°C) combined with relative humidity (70±5%). At these conditions, tallest oviposition periods, highest number of eggs laid, lowest percentages of mortalities and highest preying capacity were recorded.

INTRODUCTION

Snails cause considerable economic damage to a wide variety of plants including vegetables, tree fruits and ornamental plants it's destroy newly emerged shoots and leaves. Gastropods may affect the species composition of natural plant communities as well as seriously reducing the yields and devaluing a wide range of crops by feeding damage (South, 1992; Srivastava, 1992; Glen et al., 1994; Nakhla et al. 2002; Ismail et al. 2005 and Shoied, 2008).

In Egypt, terrestrial snails are active in the Welds from the end of September to the beginning of June. Monach aobstructa(Pfeiffer) is the most common snail species on cultivated crops and it is recorded in high population density on Egyptian clover, cabbage, green beans, maize and cucumber (Ismail et al. 2005 and Shoieb et al., 2010).

Snails control in agriculture and horticulture is mainly through the application of pesticides ( Mostafa &Abdel Megeed, 1996;Bailey, 2002;Ismail et al., 2005; Genena &Mostafa, 2008 and Shoieb et al., 2010) but the effect of molluscicides is often variable and short-lived, and they may affect non target organisms negatively, including natural enemies of snails and other pests (Langan et al., 2004;Srinivas &Madhumathi, 2005; Vantoor, 2006 and Toor, 2006)

Beetles have been reviewed as natural enemies of snails by many authors, covering carabid beetles (Carabidae), rove beetles (Staphylinidae), silphids (Silphidae), lampyrids (Lampyridae) and drillids (Drillidae), (Hu & Frank, 1995; Thayer, 2005; Marcelino et al., 2016;Brunke et al., 2019 and Staniec & Pietryowska, 2019).

The present study investigated to study the biological parameters of the Staphylinid predator, Philonthus longicornis Steph. Preying on eggs, hatchlings and adults of the terrestrial snail, Monacha obstructa (Stylommatophora: Hygromiidae) in 2017under laboratory conditions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

1-   Collecting of snails:

Adults terrestrial snail, M. obstructawere collected from infested Egyptian clover at Fayoum Governorate. Samples were collected by hand picking and collected snails were kept in plastic containers at 20±1°C, 70±5% RH and photoperiod of 12/12 h (L/D). The rearing containers (15×10×10cm) were lined with sterile loam soil on the bottom and covered with muslin to provide ventilation. The snails could acclimatize to the laboratory conditions for 4 days and they were fed on fresh cabbage leaves. Egg lying was observed each day and all egg clutches deposited in the rearing containers were carefully collected for the experiment. (Langan et al., 2004).

2-   Pitfall trapping of Staphylinid beetles:

Staphylinid beetles as well as other ground active arthropods have mainly been sampled by pitfall traps. The main reason for this is the convenience of using these traps as they are rather inexpensive, labour-efficient, and yield high numbers of many staphylinid species. The pitfall traps used in the present study were dry plastic pots of 5 cm in diameter and 10 cm in depth, with a metal cover of 10x10 cm was placed approximately 5 cm above each trap (Morsi, 1994 and Spence & Niemela, 1994).

The collected predators (larvae and adults) confined solely in plastic tubes 6×10cm as oviposition cages with wetting filter paper in the bottom, covered with muslin and held by rubber-band, (Morsi, 1994). The rearing cages were examined daily for obtaining the newly emerged adult that introduced in Petri dishes of 10cm diameter and isolated in pairs (one male& one female) provided with preys until death, (Tawfik, et al., 1976 and Morsi, 1994).

3-  

Biological parameters:

Experiments were conducted at the temperature (20±1°C) and relative humidity (70±5%) in Laboratory of plant protection Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Fayoum University. Preying capacity of different larval instars and adults of P. longicornis were investigated daily following the method described by (Morsi, 1994 and Ismail et al., 2005).

4-   Statistical analyses

All statistical analyses were performed utilizing the free software (version 2.8.0). Obtained data were statistically analyzed and L.S.D as well as the calculated standard error for biological studies was obtained according to Senedecor & Cochran, (1981); Morsi, (1994) and Abd-Elgayed, (2004).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Biology of the staphylinid predator, P. longicornis (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) was studied in the laboratory at 20±1°C temperature and 70±5% relative humidity. The biological parameters for this predator were recorded by feeding on different stages (eggs, hatchlings& adults) of the terrestrial snail, M. obstructa.

1-  Immature stages:

1.1. Eggs:

Incubation period and percentage of hatchability of P. longicornis are presented in table (1). At different preys, the incubation period not affected to record (6.20, 6.12& 6.10 days) with non significant differences between treatments. The percentages of hatchability ranged between (88-90%).

1.2. Larval instars:

During the present study, 250 adults of P. longicornis were obtained from 410 larvae reared at Lab. conditions (20 ±1°C and 70±5%R.H), all secured adults passed the larval stage through 3 instars and pre-pupae.

The above finding agrees with those recorded by (Morsi, 1994); found that whole P. longicornis larvae had 3 instars by feeding on different dipterous larvae, (Musca domestica, Drosophila mellanogaster and Ceratitis capitata). The effect of different stages of snail, M. obstructa on number of larval instars, durations, mortality percentages and sex ratio were investigated. Data recorded are presented in table (1).

The result indicated that the adult of the prey M. obstructa was unsuitable for rearing this predator (P. longicornis) as the periods of incubation coincided with the highest mortality. At hatchlings, moderate periods for respective, larval instars (4.01, 3.12& 5.82 days), coincide with the lowest mortalities (0.0%).

Statistical analysis indicated significant differences between data. Pre-pupa stage took the same trend of the eggs and effected by feeding on different stages (egg, hatchlings& adults of prey), the durations of this stage were 5.21, 5.12 & 5.10 days, while the lowest mortality (2.1%) and the highest (12%) were recorded on hatchlings& adult, respectively.

The respective pupae duration P. longicornis were 8.99, 6.33 and 6.22 related with percentages of mortalities, 2, 0and 3% (table, 1).

 Total durations of P. longicornis were 40.1, 28.55 & 19.30 days (with respective mortalities 19.22, 9.12 &23.12%). Generally, the female out number of males, and the highest ratio (1.36:1) was recorded at feeding on hatchlings of M. obstructa.(Fig.1).

1.3. Preying capacity:

At all experimented conditions, both daily and total consumed preys by larval instars increased gradually as the progressive larval instars. The highest total of consumed preys was 49.22 individuals at feeding on the hatchlings, while the lowest one (21.13) was recorded at feeding on the snail adults (Table, 1and Fig, 2).

Table (1): Biological parameters of the immature stage of P. longicornis reared on different stages of snail, M. obstructa at Laboratory conditions.

N.B: 1- Data between parentheses indicates percentages of mortality.

2- *Shows the total consumed prey/life, while between parentheses shows the average of daily consumption.

2-  Adult stage:

Data on bioactivity of P. longicornis adult reared on different stages of the terrestrial snail, M. obstructa at laboratory conditions are presented in Tables (2, 3) and Fig.(3) The respective of oviposition were 9.58, 40.80& 12.58 (at feeding on eggs), 11.22, 45.22& 18.70 (at feeding on hatchlings) and 16.75, 30.6& 9.7 (at feeding on adult). The highest longevity of female (80.11 days) was recorded at feeding on hatchlings, while the lowest (50.12 days) was recorded at feeding on adults of snail M. obstructa, the adult longevity of males took the same trend (table,2).

Table (2): Biological parameters of the adult stage of P. longicornis reared on different stages of snail, M. obstructa at Laboratory conditions.

N.B: *Shows the total consumed prey/life, while data between parentheses shows the average of daily consumption.

Table (3): Weekly deposited eggs of P. longicornis reared on different stages of snail, M .obstructa at Laboratory conditions.

N.B: Data between parentheses indicates survived females%

Preying capacity of females, in general, outnumber the preying capacity of males to record 230.20, 327.05& 119.4 preys with daily consumption, 4.1, 5.2 and 3.1 individuals/ day at feeding on eggs, hatchlings and adult of snails, respectively (table, 2 and Fig.4)).

Data in table (3) show the weekly deposited eggs per female and daily deposited eggs. Under feeding on different stages of snail, M. obstructa, 100% from female survived until the 5^th week. The highest percentages of deposited eggs were laid in the 2^nd and 3^rd weeks then decrease gradually until 14^th week. The highest deposited eggs (102.4 eggs) were laid by feeding on hatchlings, while the lowest one (45.12 eggs) was recorded under feeding on adult snail, (Table, 3 and Fig.5).

The finding results agree withTawfik et al.,(1976)recorded that this predator as preying upon the larvae of M. domestica at 30°C and the duration of immature stage were 2.10, 2.30, 2.30 and 4.40 days for eggs, larvae, prepupae and pupae, respectively. While the adult bio-cycle, pre-oviposition, oviposition and post-oviposition were averaged in respective 8.90, 59.60 and 12.90 days. Coincided with 51.60 and 48.20 days for the female and male longevities, respectively. The total deposited eggs were 78.80 eggs/female.

Morsi, (1994) recorded that predator as a predator on larvae of C. capitate,D. melanogastor and M. domestica, under the optimum conditions (25±1ºC and 70% R.H.) the duration of eggs, larvae, pre-pupae and pupae were 1.75, 4.08, 5.03 and 8.89 days, respectively. Sex ratio was 1.32:1, pre-oviposition period was 9.55, oviposition period was 50.63. Number of eggs/ female was 13.39 eggs, while daily reproductive was 0.83eggs/female/day. The male adult longevity ranged between 42-48 days.

Concluding the above-mentioned results, the feeding on different stages of the snail, M. obstructa affected positively and significantly on duration of different immature stages of the staphylinid predator, P. longicornis. 

The hatchlings of M. obstructa, was the most suitable feeding of P. longicornis, at this feeding moderate durations of immature stages correlated with the lowest percentages of mortality were obtained. In addition, the longest periods of oviposition (45.22 days) and female adult longevity (80.11 days), coincided with the highest counts of deposition/ female (102.4 eggs/ female), rate of deposition/ female/day (2.25 eggs) and highly preying capacity (49.22, 222.1 and 327.05 preys) for total immature stages, adult male and adult female, respectively.

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قیاسات بیولوجیة للمفترس الحشری Philonthus longicornis المربی علی قوقع البرسیم الزجاجی  Monacha obstructa

عاطف أحمد عبد الجید ،  نبیل محمد عبد السلام الخولی

جامعة الفیوم- کلیة الزراعة- قسم وقایة النبات

اجریت العدید من الدراسات السابقة علی تربیة هذا المفترس علی یرقات العدید من الرتب الحشریة وبالرغم من وجوده مرتبطا بهذا القوقع فام تتم دراسات سابقة علی ذلک, ولذلک أجریت هذه الدراسة علی بعض القیاسات البیولوجیة للمفترس الحشری Philonthus longicornis بتغذیته علی الاطوار المختلفة لقوقع البرسیم الزجاجی Monacha obstructa تحت الظروف المعملیة ( درجة حرارة 20درجة ورطوبة نسبیة 70%). ووجد من الدراسة أن افضل الاطوار لتربیة هذا المفترس هی الافراد حدیثة الخروج للقوقع حیث سجل عند هذه التغذیة أطول فترة حضانة مع أکبرکمیة من وضع البیض مرتبطة بأقل نسبة موت وأعلی کفاءة إفتراسیة.