Overwintering of Coccinella septempunctata (Coleoptera : Coccinellidae) atdifferent altitudes in the Karkonosze Mts, SW Poland

The body length variation, sex ratio, ovarian development and natural enemi es (parasitoids and entomopathogenic fungi) of Coccinella septempunctata we re studied during two dormancy seasons in three hibernation sites in the Ka rkonosze mountains: the top of Mt. Sniezka (1,600 m a.s.l.), the top of Mt. Szrenica (1,360 m a.s.l.) and Karpacz, the village at the foot of Mt. Snie zka (800 m a.s.l.). The proportion of females and mean body length increase d with the altitude of the hibernaculum. Post-diapause maturation of ovarie s occurred earlier in spring in females from Karpacz than from the mountain tops. The rate of parasitization of C, septempunctata by its most common p arasitoid, the braconid Dinocampus coccinellae, in both seasons exceeded 70 % at Karpacz and was 14-28% in the mountain top hibernacula. In contrast, t he incidence of fungal infection (mainly by Paecilomyces farinosus and Beau veria bassiana) was higher in beetles overwintering on the two mountain top s.