EVIDENCE FOR SPATIAL NICHE PARTITIONING IN PREDACEOUS APHIDOPHAGA - USE OF PLANT COLOR AS A CUE

A field experiment involving aphid-free control and nutrient-stressed: plants of 5 maize (Zea mays L.) genotypes was conducted to determine if predaceous aphidophaga use plant cues, such as colour, to select pl ants on which to forage. Nutrient stress resulted in plants lighter in colour (yellow) than control plants in all the maize genotypes. Cocci nellids were significantly more abundant on yellow plants than on gree ner control plants whereas chrysopids were significantly more numerous on controls in 3 out of 5 maize genotypes. These two groups of predat ors may use plant colour to partition habitat spatially and exploit th eir aphid prey while minimizing intraguild interactions.