Abstract
The growth parameters of the green lacewing, Chrysoperla nipponensis-B (Okamoto), were studied under laboratory conditions. The highest mortality was recorded in the immature stages (instars 1st, 2nd, 3rd and pupae) of C. nipponensis fed on the eggs of Corcyra cephalonica (37.26%). The sex ratios (proportion of female to male) when reared on the eggs of C. cephalonica and an artificial diet with ginger were 0.93 : 1.00 and 0.87 : 1.00, respectively. The maximum life spans of females reared on the eggs of C. cephalonica and an artificial diet with ginger were 63 and 64 days, respectively. The females reared on the eggs of C. cephalonica produced the highest number of eggs (10.4) on the fifth day of oviposition, whereas on the artificial diet with ginger it was 9.26 on the eighth day of oviposition. The net reproductive rate (Ro) and maximum gross reproductive rate (GRR) of C. nipponensis fed on the eggs of C. cephalonica were 69.50 and 223.10 females per female per generation, respectively, whereas for the artificial diet with ginger they were 117.24 and 236.89 females per female per generation, respectively. Mean generation time (T) was 37.06 and 48.16 for the eggs of C. cephalonica and artificial diet with ginger, respectively. The intrinsic rate of natural increase (r) was 0.11 and 0.09 females per female per day for the eggs of C. cephalonica and artificial diet with ginger, respectively. The finite rate of increase (λ) was 1.12 and 1.11 females per female per day for the eggs of C. cephalonica and artificial diet with ginger, respectively. The population doubling time (DT) was 6.05 days on the diet of eggs of C. cephalonica and 7.00 on the artificial diet with ginger.
Highlights
Green lacewings are important predatory biological control agents that can be used in biological control programs (Gautam, 1994; Venkatsan et al, 2008)
The first emergence of adults reared on eggs of C. cephalonica and artificial diets with ginger occurred on day 21, 22 and 22, and day 26, 24 and 24 for cohorts 1, 2, and 3, respectively
The results are similar to those of Jokar & Zarabi (2012) who record a gross reproductive rate (GRR) of 225.5 ± 3.45 and 267.8 ± 4.8 for C. carnea fed A. kuehniella and a semi artificial diet, respectively. This life table study indicates that the survivorship curves of C. nipponensis fed on both the eggs of C. cephalonicaa and an artificial diet with ginger is of type III, which is commonly found in insects
Summary
Green lacewings are important predatory biological control agents that can be used in biological control programs (Gautam, 1994; Venkatsan et al, 2008). Many artificial diets have been evaluated for rearing Chrysoperla spp. with varying success (Vanderzant, 1969; Yazlovetsky, 1992; Cohen & Smith, 1998; Zhang et al, 2004). These artificial diets mostly contain beef, hen eggs, yeast, honey, sucrose, vitamins, minerals, propionate, potassium sorbate, streptomycin sulfate and chlortetracycline, and most are costly (Yazlovetsky, 1992; Cohen & Smith, 1998; Sattar et al, 2007). This resulted in the development of a cost effective artificial diet for
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