2025/08/07 by Christopher John Topping, Elżbieta Ziółkowska, Andrey Chuhutin +1 · 1 voice
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Insect-Plant Interactions and Control #Plant Parasitism and Resistance #Plant and animal studies
paper · pdf · doi:10.3897/fmj.6.152914
openalex publication_date 2025/08/07 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/03
We present the Formal Model for the seven-spotted ladybird Coccinella septempunctata L., to be implemented in the Animal Landscape and Man Simulation System. This agent-based model is designed to dynamically interact with pre-existing aphid species models, providing a foundation for studying the effects of landscape-scale management on these species. It also serves as a crucial component in developing a model system to support the analysis of Integrated Pest Management strategies. We present an extensive literature survey of C. septempunctata ecology and behaviour. The model primarily considers temperature and aphid prey availability as the major driving factors, given the species’ reliance on aphids during its juvenile stage. Mechanisms and parameters are, as far as possible, derived from previous models and literature studies. Each major section of behaviour is described first in terms of what is known ecologically and secondly in terms of planned implementation. We present a description of the factors included in the model and those consciously excluded, providing justifications for these decisions. Additionally, we discuss aspects of the model’s implementation and identify data gaps, highlighting specific areas for future improvement. The next phase involves the implementation and calibration of the model.