Biological Characteristics Of The Predators Chilocorus bipustlatus L. And Chrysoperla carnea (Steph.) Reared On Two Soft Scale Insects Under Laboratory Conditions

• Hala. A. El- Serafi1; A. A. Ghanim1 ; A. H. El-Heneidy2 and M. K. El-Sherbenie2
• ¹ Dept. of Economic Entomology, Faculty of Agric., Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
• ² Plant Protection Research Institute, ARC, Giza, Egypt
• The first Arab Conference of Applied Biological Pest Control, Cairo, Egypt, 5-7 April 2004

Abstract

Laboratory experiments were carried out under 27±1°C temperature and 70 ± 2 % R.H. to evaluate certain biological characteristics of the predators; Chilocorus bipustulatus L. and Chrysoperla carnea (Steph.) when reared on the soft scale insects; Coccus hesperidum L. and Pulvinaria psidii Mask. Total larval duration of C. bipustulatus lasted an average of 17.33 days. Each larva consumed an average of 200.26 nymphs from C. hesperidum. The adult female lived 59.21 days consuming 637.54 individuals. Total eggs laid were 178.54/female. The adult male lived 45.61 days consuming 410.52 nymphs. The total larval duration of the predator reached 21.04 days when fed on P. psidii nymphs. Each larva consumed an average of 177.46 nymphs. The adult female lived 60.01 days consuming an average of 720.32 individuals. Total eggs laid were 125.74/female. The predator adult male lived 45.87 days consuming an average of 458.96 nymphs. The duration of the predator C. carnea larvae reached an average of 14.5 days when fed on C. hesperidum nymphs, while it was 13.07 days when it reared on the prey adults during its total developmental period. The predator larva consumed an average of 26.42 individuals of C. hesperidum adults during its total developmental period. The predator female longevity lasted 36.14 days when fed on C. hesperidum nymphs and 35.18 days when reared on adults. The number of deposited eggs per female averaged 362.95 eggs when the larva reared on C. hesperidum nymphs and 409.68 eggs when it reared on the adults. The predator male longevity was 18.37 days and 17.81 days, when its larvae were fed on the nymphs and adults of C. hesperidum, respectively. The duration of predator larvae reached an average of 17.09 days when they fed on P. psidii nymphs, and 14.33 days when they reared on the adults. The predator larva consumed an average of 615.10 P. psidii nymphs or 420.05 adults during its developmental period.