January - February 2020 ISSN: 0193 - 4120 Page No. 5976 - 5985 Functional Response and Predation Potential of Hyperaspis Campestris (Herbst 1783) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) on Opuntiae Cochineal Dactylopius Opuntiae (Hemiptera: Dactylopiidae) in Morocco Mohamed El Aalaoui,1,4*, Rachid Bouharroud,1 Mohamed Sbaghi,2 Mustapha El Bouhssini,3 and Lahoucine Hilali,4 1Integrated Crop Production Unit, Regional Center of Agadir, National Institute of Agronomic Research, Morocco. Emails:
[email protected] (Corresponding author) and
[email protected], 2National Institute of Agronomic Research, Plant Protection Department, Scientific Division, Rabat Morocco. Emails:
[email protected] 3 International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Rabat, Morocco. Email:
[email protected] 4Faculty of Science and Technology of Settat, Morocco. Email:
[email protected] *Corresponding author:
[email protected], Article Info Abstract: Volume 82 Functional response of the lady beetle Hyperaspis campestris (Herbst 1783) Page Number: 5976 - 5985 to varying densities (1, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25) of Dactylopius opuntiae Publication Issue: (Cockerell) young females (20 days old) were determined under controlled January-February 2020 conditions at 26±2°C, 60±10 % RH and 12:12 h L:D regime. The searching efficiency of H. campestris considerably decreased as prey density increased. The significant linear coefficient (P1) obtained by logistic regression had a negative indicating functional response type II. Attack rates (0.151, 0.101, 0.097, 0.122, 0.124 and 0.135) and handling times (3.848, 5.171, 5.417, 4.245, 4.356 and 3.940) for 1 to 25 density, respectively, were recorded using Holling‘s disc equation.