SURVEY OF LADY BEETLES (COLEOPTERA, COCCINELLIDAE) IN SWEET CORN USING YELLOW STICKY CARDS

Yellow cards coated with adhesive were used to survey for the presence , relative abundance and seasonal patterns of lady beetles in research and commercial fields of processing sweet corn in central and western New York in 1992 and 1993. The lady beetles species recorded, in orde r of abundance were: Coleomegilla maculata lengi Timberlake, Coccinell a septempunctata L., Psyllobora vigintimaculata (Say), Hippodamia pare nthesis (Say), Propylea quatuordecimpunctata (L.), Cycloneda munda (Sa y), Hippodamia glacialis glacialis (F.), Adalia bipunctata (L.), Cocci nella trifasciata perplexa Mulsant, and Coccinella transversoguttata r ichardsoni Brown. Coleomegilla maculata lengi was in sufficient number to reflect seasonal patterns. Coleomegilla maculata lengi populations rapidly increased in early July, peaked in late July or early August and then rapidly declined. The timing of C. maculate lengi peak abunda nce was more closely related to day-of-year than to stage of crop deve lopment based on accumulated degree days from planting. The pattern of capture of C. maculata lengi at incremental distances into the field did not indicate colonization from the field edge.