Multiple factors, including arena size, influence the functional responses of ladybird beetles

1. Functional response studies are often used to determine the suitability of predators as biocontrol agents. Ladybird beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) often are used for the control of crop pests such as aphids. However, most functional response studies on coccinellids compare a limited number of species at different life stages, temperatures, or sexes. A large-scale comparison of ladybird beetle functional responses is needed to evaluate the utility of these species as potential biocontrol predators and to understand the traits that influence the interaction strength between ladybird beetles and their prey. 2. We compiled 158 ladybird beetle functional responses from 30 studies and tested for effects of taxa, traits, temperature, and arena size on functional response parameters using linear mixed-effects models. 3. Our results show that functional response parameters (handling time and space clearance rate) are affected by predator stage, predator mass, prey type, temperature, and ...

1. 功能响应（functional response）研究常被用于评估捕食者作为生物防治天敌的适配性。瓢虫（鞘翅目：瓢虫科Coccinellidae）常被用于防治蚜虫等作物害虫。然而，现有针对瓢虫科昆虫的功能响应研究，大多仅在不同发育阶段、温度或性别条件下，对有限物种开展比较。亟需开展大规模的瓢虫功能响应对比研究，以评估这些物种作为潜在生防捕食者的应用价值，并解析影响瓢虫与猎物间互作强度的关键性状。
2. 本研究从30项已有研究中整合得到158组瓢虫功能响应数据集，并采用线性混合效应模型，检验了类群、生物学性状、温度及试验空间大小对功能响应参数的影响。
3. 研究结果表明，功能响应参数（处理时间与空间清除率）受捕食者发育阶段、捕食者体重、猎物类型、温度及……的影响。