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Variable Consequences Of Toxic Prey On Generalist Insect Predators, Kelly Jackson

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

Introduced species, like the lady beetle Harmonia axyridis, have been linked to declines of native species through mechanisms including intraguild predation and competitive superiority. However, competitive differentials between species may be mitigated if subdominant species can utilize resources that dominant species cannot. Previous research has shown that some strains of the aphid Aphis craccivora are toxic to H. axyridis. My goal was to investigate use of this resource by both H. axyridis and other lady beetles, to determine whether these aphids might be an exploitable resource for subdominant lady beetle species. I first examined the behavioral responses of …