Abstract
The species Pentilia egena Mulsant is an important predator of armored scales that occur in citrus orchards in Brazil. To intensify this biological control, knowing bioecological aspects in necessary for the improvement of massal insect rearing. This research investigated the influence of temperature (19ºC, 24ºC and 29ºC) on the number of eggs laid by P. egena and the number of Aspidiotus nerii Bouché scales preyed by this coccinellid. The highest number of eggs laid and of scales preyed, 5.1 ± 0.59 and 11.3 ± 0.19, respectively, occurred at 29ºC. However, egg viability (52.86%) was reduced at this temperature, and was lower than those at 19ºC and 24ºC (78.10% and 74.07%, respectively). Temperature did not affect the ladybeetle oviposition behavior as the eggs were laid under the scale of preyed A. nerii.
Highlights
The coccinellids play an important role in biological insect control worldwide, as natural enemies of aphids, scales, mealybugs and mites (Hagen, 1962)
Each P. egena female was placed in a feeding and oviposition arena, consisting of a section of plastic tube (3 cm diameter x 3 cm high), one side closed with a piece of plastic foam and the other hold by pins on the surface of the pumpkin
Analysis of variance was applied to the studies of preying capacity, and means compared by the Tukey test (P = 0.05) and egg viability compared by the χ-Square test (P = 0.01)
Summary
OVIPOSITION AND PREDATION OF Pentilia egena MULSANT (COLEOPTERA: COCCINELLIDAE) IN RESPONSE TO TEMPERATURE. ABSTRACT : The species Pentilia egena Mulsant is an important predator of armored scales that occur in citrus orchards in Brazil. To intensify this biological control, knowing bioecological aspects in necessary for the improvement of massal insect rearing. This research investigated the influence of temperature (19oC, 24oC and 29oC) on the number of eggs laid by P. egena and the number of Aspidiotus nerii Bouché scales preyed by this coccinellid. Temperature did not affect the ladybeetle oviposition behavior as the eggs were laid under the scale of preyed A. nerii. A temperatura não afetou o comportamento de oviposição deste coccinelídeo, sendo os ovos, preferencialmente, colocados sob a carapaça das cochonilhas já predadas
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