esculentum). However, additional information concerning lady beetles and other beneficial insects is needed in conjunction with border rows providing floral resources so that effective and sustainable pest control options can be identified and potentially used. Development of conservation biological control tactics such as habitat management may be expected to boost small farm income and benefit small farm communities. Thus, the objective of this research was to determine the effect habitat management/border row planting has on lady beetle diversity and abundance in native perennial and pasture border types.
This study was conducted at the Kentucky State University Research and Demonstration farm in Frankfort, KY. Native perennial and pasture border rows were established in 2012 and were used to examine lady beetle populations.
Border rows were 25 meters long by 2 meters wide. Native perennial border rows were planted using 11 species of flowering plants and 5 species of grasses. The flowering species were, (Anemone virginiana) Thimbleweed, (Aster novae-anglica) New England Aster, (Echinacea purpurea) Purple Coneflowerwhile, (Erygium yuccifolium) Rattlesnake Master, (Eupatorium perfoliatum) Common Boneset, (Lobelia siphilitica) Blue Lobelia, (Monarda fistulosa) Bee Balm, (Penstemon digitalis) Foxglove Beardtongue, (Penstemon hirsutus) Hairy Beardtongue, (Pycantheum tennuifolium) Slender Mountain Mint, (Ratibida pinnata) Gray-Headed Coneflower, while the grasses were, (Schizacharium scoparium) Little bluestem, (Sporobolus heterolepis) Prairie Dropseed, (Andropogon gerardii) Big Bluestem, (Bouteloua curtipendula) Side-oats Grama, and (Panicum virgatum) Switchgrass.
Insects were sampled on date and date using 15 centimeter by 15 centimeter yellow sticky traps stapled to 1.5 meter long tobacco sticks at vegetation canopy height. Four traps were placed in each row equally spaced from each other and the ends of the borders. Traps were collected weekly and placed in 1 gallon Ziploc bags, and Insects were identified using a dissecting stereoscope. The average number of lady beetle species were calculated per trap and border type and graphed using Excel. Graphs are presented as the average number of lady beetles per species.