Feeding preferences of red legged partridge, Alectoris chukar Gray (Galliformes: Phasianidae) on harmful and beneficial insects

The feeding preferences of red legged partridge (RLP), Alectoris chukar Gray (Galliformes: Phasianidae), on wheat kernel (WK), sunn pest (SP) Eurygaster integriceps Put. shield bug (SB) Dolycoris baccarum L. (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) and lady bug (LB), Coccinella septempunctata L. have been investigated under laboratory condition. Foods were given in to the partridges for one hour plastic cases firstly periodically (SP + SB, SP + LB, SP + WK, SB + LB, SB + WK and LB + WK) then ternary (SP + SB + LB, SP + SB + WK, SP + LB + WK and SB + LB + WK) and lastly quadruplet (SP + SB + LB + WK). According to the obtained data, it was found that the RLPs feed on WK, SP and SB, and although they feed on LB, the preference was very low. The RLP preferred wheat more than SP and SB. Copyright 2015 Zoological Society of Pakistan