Long term changes in abundance of Coccinella septempunctata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in the Czech Republic

Abstract

Since 1978, the abundance of Coccinella septempunctata L. has been recorded at a hibernation site in the western Czech Republic. Over the years, abundance varied by two orders of magnitude and a long-term trend for decrease in C. septempunctata abundance was observed beginning in the early 1990s. This recession was correlated with the decreasing abundance of its dominant prey, cereal aphids. The acreage of small grain cereals and other crops suitable for breeding C. septempunctata populations also decreased. The change in abundance of cereal aphids may be associated with a dramatic decrease in fertilizer input after 1990. Decreasing fertilizer use has changed the quality of small grain cereal crops and is reflected in lower yields.

Keywords

• coccinellidae
• hibernation
• abundance
• population change
• agriculture practices
• fertilization
• land use
• cereal aphids
• coccinella septempunctata
• metopolophium dirhodum
• sitobion avenae
• rhopalosiphum padi