New Horizons in Insect Science Towards Sustainable Pest Management

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Influence of Herbivores on the

Biology of Chrysoperla carnea

Stephens

P. N. Magar, N. S. Satpute, S. S. Madankar and S. P. Bhopale

A. K. Chakravarthy (ed.), New Horizons in Insect Science: Towards Sustainable Pest Management,
DOI 10.1007/978-81-322-2089-3_31, © Springer India 2015

P. N. Magar () · N. S. Satpute · S. S. Madankar ·
S. P. Bhopale
Department of Entomology, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh
Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola, India
e-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

A laboratory study was conducted in the Biocontrol laboratory at Depart-

ment of Entomology, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola,

during Kharif season of 2010–2011, which assessed the influence of dif-

ferent cotton plant herbivores on the biological parameters of Chrysop-

erla carnea. The results revealed that the highest feeding potential was

found on cotton aphids, followed by Helicoverpa (eggs and neonates),

and nymphs of jassids 193.87, 179.53, and 142.74 numbers, respectively.

The shortest larval duration was recorded on cotton aphids followed by

Helicoverpa (eggs and neonates) as 9.40 and 10.80 days, respectively.

Prolonged larval duration, pupal period, and incubation period were re-

corded on cotton jassids as 14.47, 6.80, 2.66 days, respectively. The high-

est fecundity was recorded on cotton aphids whereas, lowest fecundity on

cotton jassids as 418.00 and 342.40 eggs/female, respectively. The longest

adult longevity was found on cotton aphids.

Introduction

The green lacewing, Chrysoperla carnea (Ste-
phens) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) is predomi-
nant among the predacious insect species. It is
active throughout the year in India, feeding on

insect pests on crops. The larvae are predacious,

which feed on the eggs and neonate lepidop-

terous larvae, nymphs, and adults of whitefly,

aphids, thrips, scale insect, mealy bug, mites, etc.

(Singh and Narasimhan 1992 ; Tesfye and Gau-

tam 2002 ). They feed on aphids in most of the

agricultural and horticultural ecosystems includ-

ing plantations as well as ornamental crops. The

role of many chrysopids as predators of pests has

been required over. Resistance to insecticides

commonly used against the crop pests has led

Keywords

Chrysoperla carnea · Herbivores · Helicoverpa · Host suitability