Influence of host plant species of Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) (Hom., Aleyrodidae) on some of the biological and ecological characteristics of the entomophagous Serangium parcesetosum Sicard (Col., Coccinellidae)

Abstract

The entomophagous Serangium parcesetosum Sicard (Col., Coccinellidae) is an effective predator of some whitefly species. However, information on the influence of the prey’s host plant species on its biological and ecological characteristics is still lacking in the literature. Therefore, the current study focuses on the possible influence of three greenhouse and two field host plant species of Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) (Hom., Aleyrodidae) on the number of eggs laid by S. parcesetosum. In addition, because of the economic importance and widespread planting of cucumber in greenhouses and cotton in the field, these plants were selected for further investigation into the development, mortality, longevity and reproduction of S. parcesetosum at a high temperature in the laboratory. Results showed that S. parcesetosum was able to lay eggs on all five host plant species of B. tabaci, whether greenhouse or field plants. However, among the three greenhouse plant species studied, S. parcesetosum females laid the highest number of eggs on cucumber followed by tomato and then sweet pepper. Of the two field plant species, significantly higher numbers of eggs were laid on tobacco than on cotton. S. parcesetosum could develop either on cucumber or on cotton as preferable host plant species for B. tabaci. There were significant differences in mean developmental duration of larval instars of the same sex between both host plant species; the duration was significantly shorter on cucumber than on cotton. There were no significant differences for mean total developmental duration from egg to adult emergence between both host plant species within the same sex; females showed a mean of 15.9 days and males of 15.1 days on cucumber, while on cotton the means were 17.2 days for females and 16.2 days for males. Total mortality percentage of S. parcesetosum during development from egg to adult stage was lower on cucumber than on cotton, 20.6 and 23.8%, respectively. Longevity of S. parcesetosum varied according to host plant species and sex with a mean of 63.4 days for females and 50.3 days for males on cucumber, and 92.4 days for females and 52.5 days for males on cotton. On cucumber, mean period of oviposition of S. parcesetosum was significantly longer than on cotton. Mean total fecundity was significantly higher on cucumber than on cotton, with means of 97.7 and 31.0 eggs/female, respectively.