Abundance and phenological model of Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in field crops

The multicolored Asian ladybeetle Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) was introduced into Western Europe in the late 1990s. This exotic and invasive species is known to thrive principally in shrubs and arboreal habitats. We focus on a phonological model and on annual abundance in various field crops. The abundance of H. axyridis adults and larvae were evaluated during a three-year period, from 2009 to 2011, in four important agronomical crops (wheat, corn, broad bean and potato) in Belgium. H. axyridis colonizes and reproduces in all four crops studied, with larger densities observed in corn and broad bean. The reproduction of H. axyridis occurs principally in corn and occurred much less in wheat and potato. From 2009 to 2011, abundances of H. axyridis populations were constant except in corn, where the observed densities of all immature stages and adults were higher in 2011 than in 2009. The population dynamics of aphids and H. axyridis were characterized by a symmetric logistic function (S-shape) based on the cumulative population size.