Université Libre de Bruxelles
Intraguild predation in Harmonia axyridis and its effects on native
coccinellids
Louis Hautier
October 2012
A thesis in the fulfilment of the requirements for a doctoral degree in Agricultural Sciences and Biological Engineering
Plant Protection and Ecotoxicology Unit Walloon Agricultural Research Centre
Biological Control and Spatial Ecology Laboratory Université Libre de Bruxelles
Université Libre de Bruxelles
Prédation intraguilde chez Harmonia axyridis et ses effets sur les
coccinelles indigènes
Louis Hautier
Octobre 2012
Thése présentée en vue de l’obtention du grade académique de Docteur en Sciences agronomiques et Ingénierie biologique
Unité Protection des Plantes et Ecotoxicologie Centre wallon de Recherches agronomiques
Laboratoire de Lutte BIologique et Ecologie Spatiale Université Libre de Bruxelles
Acknowledgments
A PhD is not only a scientific adventure but also a human adventure. I would like to thank my supervisor, Jean‐Claude Grégoire, who encouraged me to start this PhD on basis of my first results and for his invaluable advice. Very special thanks go to Jean‐Louis Hemptinne. He has been a precious source of encouragement and inspiration. Many thanks also to Gilles San Martin for our discussions on “bêtes à Bon Dieu” and his invaluable help in numerous statistical analyses with R.
I would like to thanks also my follow up committee that guided me through my research as well as my jury, Patrick De Clercq, Jean‐Christophe de Biseau, Jean‐Louis Hemptinne, Jean‐Claude Grégoire, Guy Josens and Bernard Watillon for their constructive comments.
I would like to express my deep gratitude to my CRA‐W colleagues and especially Jean‐Pierre Jansen and Marc Cavelier that have allowed me to carry out my PhD at Laboratoire d’Ecotoxicologie beside my GLP activities of study director; Brigitte Jonard, Anne‐Michèle Warnier, Thibaut Defrance for their precious technical help and breeding of aphids and ladybirds;
Michel De Proft for his support at the end of this PhD.
I would like to thank for enriching discussions: Jacques Pasteels, Etienne Branquart, Tim Adrieans, Dirk Maes and also the “Harmonia group” from IOBC WG Benefits and Risks of Exotic Biological Control Agents : Helen Roy, Marc Kenis, Peter M.J. Brown, Angelos Katsanis, Remy L. Poland, John Slogget, Alexandre Aebi, Andy Howe, Brecht Ingels,...
This PhD is also the fruit of the master student works: Nicolas Ottart, Pierre Callier, Jérôme De Schauwers and the technical assistance in GC‐MS analysis of Laurent Grumiau. I would like to thank them for their contributions. I thank as well Gerry Cambier and Steven Kelly for the proofreading of English, and Véronique Pinilla and her team to the harmonine purification at UCB.
I would like to salute warmly the encouragements during these long years by: the "climbing family" from Itinéraires Amo; my climbing partners: Fred, Simon, Jérôme, Eric (KiriKou), François (Kin²), Béré; the Jura team “Béate, Béré, Ralph, Vaness, Judith, Charlotte, Maarten”; the entomologists: Nora, Nico, Denis and my close friends: Nicolas and Simon. I would also like thank the LUBIES team, François, Sylvie and the others for their welcome for a “phantom PhD student”
as me.
Finally, I would like to thank my parents and my sister who have been always at my sides, and Marie‐Christine and Véronique that help me to explore the human soul.
‐i‐
Contents
Contents ... i
Abstract ... iii
Résumé ... iv
List of abbreviations ... v
List of tables ... vi
List of figures ... ix
Chapter 1 General introduction Biological control ... 3
Biological invasions... 5
The multicolored Asian lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) ... 6
Intraguild predation ... 17
Outline of the thesis ... 27
Chapter 2 Harmonia axyridis and the native coccinellids in Europe The decline of native ladybirds in Europe ... 31
H. axyridis in Belgium potato fields ... 41
Chapter 3 Intraguild predation in laboratory conditions Intraguild predation by H. axyridis on Adalia bipunctata ... 53
Dorsal spines as a physical protection against intraguild predation? ... 66
Chapter 4 Tracking intraguild predation in the field Tracking intraguild predation with alkaloids ... 83
Intraguild predation on native coccinellids in the field ... 91
Detection tools of intraguild predation in the field ... 103
Chapter 5 General discussion Reference ... 124
Appendix 1 List of publications ... 155
Appendix 2 List of communications ... 157