Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperla Carnea Research Articles

Common green lacewing the Faceted life of a predatorChrysoperla carnea (Stephens) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) and density on citrus trees.

The study was conducted in Wasit province (Numaniya) and the province of Baghdad (Jadiriyah) in 2013-2014 in orchards planted with different kinds of citrus under the date palms infected with the whitefly Aleuroclava jasmini (Takahashi) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae). The results of the study showed that predator the common green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea ( stephens) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) is the dominant predator in the presence and prevalence on various citrus trees with different densities depending on the density of whitefly, and the highest density was on Tangerine trees Citrus tangerine Tanaka and recorded all his stages (eggs, larvae, pupae and adults) during the spring, summer and autumn, and is in the winter the stage of active and volatile adult insects among the trees citrus, which underlines the lack of passing Hibernation and that the intensity of the predator first two peaks during the months of June and July and the second in September and October.

Modeling of the effect of temperature on developmental rate of common green lacewing, Chrysoperla carnea (Steph.) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae)

BackgroundThe common green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea (Steph.) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) is a polyphagous and efficient predatory species commonly found in a wide range of agricultural habitats. It plays an important role in biological control of pests.Main bodyThe effect of temperature on developmental rate of the predator C. carnea was studied at 7 constant temperatures, 15, 20, 25, 27, 30, 32, and 35 °C, 50 ± 10% RH, and a photoperiod of 16:8 h (L:D). Six nonlinear models were evaluated to determine the trend of developmental rate of the predator in examined temperatures and to estimate thermal thresholds of development. Nonlinear models were evaluated based on coefficient of determination (R2), adjusted coefficient of determination (R2adj), residual sum of squares (RSS), and Akaike information criterion (AIC), beside biological significance of the estimated values for the model parameters. Among evaluated nonlinear models, Lactin-2 for all immature stages was the best-fitted model on observations, considering statistical criteria and biological significance of the estimations. The values of the lower temperature threshold by using Lacin-2 were 9.90, 10.90, 11.90, 11.40, 11.11, 11.61, and 11.30 °C for incubation period, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd larval instars, overall larval period, and pupal and total immature stages, respectively. The values of the upper temperature threshold for the mentioned developmental stages were 33.82, 37.66, 33.14, 34.04, 33.58, 32.14, and 32.18 °C, respectively. Estimated values for the optimal temperature for incubation period, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd larval instars, overall larval period, and pupal and total immature stages were 30.69, 30.22, 30.90, 30.34, 30.90, 31.75, and 31.72 °C, respectively.Short conclusionThe results, in addition to determine thermal tolerance for the development of C. carnea, provided advantage information for better use of C. carnea in biological control programs.

First Report Using a Native Lacewing Species to Control Tuta absoluta: From Laboratory Trials to Field Assessment.

The South American tomato pinworm, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), a destructive pest on tomato, has invaded most Afro-Eurasian countries. Recently invaded by the pest, most tomato crops in greenhouses and open fields in Tajikistan are currently suffering major damage. While failure in management using chemical insecticide has been frequently observed, alternative options such as biological control is urgently needed. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of the common green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) against T. absoluta. In controlled laboratory conditions, C. carnea showed high predation rate on both T. absoluta eggs (i.e., 36 ± 2 eggs within 24 h and 72 ± 4 eggs within 48 h) and larvae, especially it can attack the larvae both inside and outside the leaf galleries (i.e., an average of 22% of the larvae was killed inside, and an average of 35% was killed outside). In a cage exclusion experiment, T. absoluta showed relatively low larval density in the cages with pre-fruiting release of C. carnea, whereas the larval density was four to six times higher in the “no release” cages. In the “post-fruiting release” cages, the pest population that had already built up during the pre-fruiting stage eventually crashed. In an open-field experiment, the tomato crops in control plots were fully destroyed, whereas low levels of larvae density and damage were observed in the biocontrol plots. Moreover, the field release of C. carnea resulted in significantly higher tomato yield than those without release, despite no differences between the “pre-fruiting release” and “post-fruiting release” treatments. We conclude that the local commercial biocontrol agent C. carnea could be promising for the management of T. absoluta in Tajikistan. It is also one of the first reports showing the management of T. absoluta using a lacewing species. The effectiveness should be validated by further field trials in larger area of commercial crops and various locations.

Sequence Identification, Recombinant Production, and Analysis of the Self-Assembly of Egg Stalk Silk Proteins from Lacewing Chrysoperla carnea.

Egg stalk silks of the common green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea likely comprise at least three different silk proteins. Based on the natural spinning process, it was hypothesized that these proteins self-assemble without shear stress, as adult lacewings do not use a spinneret. To examine this, the first sequence identification and determination of the gene expression profile of several silk proteins and various transcript variants thereof was conducted, and then the three major proteins were recombinantly produced in Escherichia coli encoded by their native complementary DNA (cDNA) sequences. Circular dichroism measurements indicated that the silk proteins in aqueous solutions had a mainly intrinsically disordered structure. The largest silk protein, which we named ChryC1, exhibited a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) behavior and self-assembled into fibers or film morphologies, depending on the conditions used. The second silk protein, ChryC2, self-assembled into nanofibrils and subsequently formed hydrogels. Circular dichroism and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed conformational changes of both proteins into beta sheet rich structures upon assembly. ChryC3 did not self-assemble into any morphology under the tested conditions. Thereby, through this work, it could be shown that recombinant lacewing silk proteins can be produced and further used for studying the fiber formation of lacewing egg stalks.

Fitness cost and realized heritability of resistance to spinosad in Chrysoperla carnea (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae).

The common green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea is a key biological control agent employed in integrated pest management (IPM) programs for managing various insect pests. Spinosad is used for the management of pests in ornamental plants, fruit trees, vegetable and field crops all over the world, including Pakistan. A field-collected population of C. carnea was selected with spinosad and fitness costs and realized heritability were investigated. After selection for five generations, C. carnea developed 12.65- and 73.37-fold resistance to spinosad compared to the field and UNSEL populations. The resistant population had a relative fitness of 1.47, with substantially higher emergence rate of healthy adults, fecundity and hatchability and shorter larval duration, pupal duration, and development time as compared to a susceptible laboratory population. Mean relative growth rate of larvae, intrinsic rate of natural population increase and biotic potential was higher for the spinosad-selected population compared to the susceptible laboratory population. Chrysoperla species are known to show resistance to insecticides which makes the predator compatible with most IPM systems. The realized heritability (h 2) value of spinosad resistance was 0.37 in spinosad-selected population of C. carnea.

Toxicity of spinosad on common green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) larvae via ingestion technique under laboratory conditions

The use of selective insecticides could improve conservation of natural enemies and therefore contribute to the success of integrated pest management programmes. In this study, the toxicity of one selective insecticide, spinosad to common green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens) was evaluated. Several stages of C. carnea larvae were exposed to spinosad via ingestion technique under laboratory conditions. The used quantities of spinosad were less than the maximum recommended rate given on the product label. In ingestion bioassay tests, a direct relationship was detected between the concentration of spinosad and mortality rate of first instar larvae. So that, the applied of 250 and 2500 ppm of spinosad caused 35 and 90% mortality, respectively. Mortality rate was recorded 1–3 days of post treatment. An implementation of 250 ppm of spinosad on second and third instar larvae showed negligible mortality rate after 3 days, whereas the first instars larvae suffered 35% mortality. On the basis of collected data we could conclude that spinosad is not merited to be considered to have an environmental safety profile on C. carnea similar to well-established conventional biological insecticides.

Impact of Cheiracanthium pelasgicum (Araneae: Miturgidae) and Chrysoperla carnea (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) intraguild predation on the potential control of cotton pest Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Antagonist interactions such as intraguild predation (IGP) or cannibalism among predatory arthropods can reduce the impact of these invertebrates on pest limitation in agroecosystems. Here, the effects of IGP between two major natural enemies of cotton pests, the cursorial spider Cheiracanthium pelasgicum (C.L. Koch) and the common green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens), were studied under laboratory conditions. First, a feeding preference test was carried out to determine the degree of C. pelasgicum preference for lacewing larvae, using second-instar Helicoverpa armigera larvae as alternative prey. In a second bioassay, the effects of predator interactions on potential predation of H. armigera larvae were analysed using three treatment combinations (plus a control with no predator): (1) spider alone, (2) lacewing larvae alone, (3) spider + lacewing larvae. Potential predation by C. pelasgicum on lacewing eggs was also studied. C. pelasgicum showed no significant preference for either of the two species, indicating that this spider may impact negatively on the green lacewing population. Findings revealed no additive effects and an antagonist interaction between C. pelasgicum and green lacewing larvae, which adversely affected H. armigera suppression; both predators displayed lower predation rates when kept together than either predator alone. However, presence of lacewing larvae and subsequent unidirectional IGP did not affect the predation capacity of C. pelasgicum. Finally, predation rates of C. pelasgicum on lacewing eggs were very low (mean 2.35 ± 0.71 eggs, 24 h after offering) indicating that the impact of C. pelasgicum on lacewing populations may be limited.

Increased fitness and realized heritability in emamectin benzoate-resistant Chrysoperla carnea (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae)

The common green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea is a key biological control agent employed in integrated pest management (IPM) programs for managing various insect pests. A field collected population of C. carnea was selected for emamectin benzoate resistance in the laboratory and fitness costs and realized heritability were investigated. After five generations of selection with emamectin benzoate, C. carnea developed a 318-fold resistance to the insecticide. The resistant population had a relative fitness of 1.49, with substantially higher emergence rate of healthy adults, fecundity and hatchability and shorter larval duration, pupal duration, and development time compared to the susceptible population. Mean population growth rates; such as the intrinsic rate of natural population increase and biotic potential were higher for the emamectin benzoate selected population compared to the susceptible population. The realized heritability (h(2)) value of emamectin benzoate resistance was 0.34 in emamectin benzoate selected population of C. carnea. Chrysoperla species which show resistance to insecticides makes them compatible with those IPM systems where emamectin benzoate is employed.

Lethal Effects of Spinosad on Chrysoperla Carnea Larvae (Neuroptera: Chrisopidae) Under Laboratory Conditions

The use of selective insecticides could improve conservation of natural enemies and therefore contribute to the success of In- tegrated Pest Management (IPM) programs. In this study, the toxicity of one selective insecticide, Spinosad to common green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea Stephens was evaluated. Several stages of C. carnea larvae were exposed to Spinosad under laboratory conditions. The used quantities of Spinosad were less than the maximum recommended rate given on the product label. In contact bioassay tests, a direct relationship was detected between the concentration of Spinosad and mortality rate of first instar larvae. So that, the employ- ing of 250 and 2 500 ppm of Spinosad caused 33 and 67 per cent mortality, respectively. Mortality rate was recorded 1-3 day post treatment. In implementation of 250 ppm of Spinosad on second and third instar larvae showed negligible mortality rate after 3 days whereas the first instars larvae suffered 33 per cent mortality. On the basis of collected data we could conclude that Spinosad is not to be considered to have an environmental safety profile on C. carnea similarly to well established biological insecticides.

The importance of honeydew as food for larvae of Chrysoperla carnea in the presence of aphids

AbstractLarvae of the common green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea are predacious and feed on a wide range of small, soft‐bodied arthropods. In addition to their feeding on prey arthropods to cover their nutritional requirements for growth and development, the consumption of non‐prey foods such as honeydew has been reported. It is commonly believed that these food supplements are primarily exploited by the larvae when prey is scarce or of low nutritional quality. Here, we assess whether C. carnea larvae also use honeydew when high‐quality aphid prey are readily available. In a choice experiment, the feeding behaviour of C. carnea larvae was observed in the presence of both aphids and honeydew. The larvae were starved, aphid‐fed, or honeydew‐fed prior to the experiment. The time spent feeding on honeydew compared with feeding on aphids was highest for starved larvae and lowest for honeydew‐fed larvae. Among the three treatments, the aphid‐fed larvae spent the most time resting and the least time searching. In an additional experiment food intake was assessed in terms of weight change when larvae were provided with an ad libitum supply of either aphids or honeydew. Larvae yielded a significant lower relative weight increase on honeydew compared with aphids. The reduced weight increase on honeydew was compensated when larvae were subsequently provided with aphids, but not when honeydew was provided again. This study showed that (i) prior honeydew feeding reduces overall aphid consumption, and (ii) larvae do consume honeydew even after they have been given ad libitum access to aphids. The fact that larvae of C. carnea still use honeydew as a food source in the presence of suitable prey underlines the importance of carbohydrates as foods.

Small-scale production of the common green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens) (Neuropt., Chrysopidae): minimizing costs and maximizing output

This paper outlines a system for the production of common green lacewings in the laboratory, using easily available and inexpensive equipment and producing a healthy surplus of insects for experimental purposes. An economic breakdown of costs is given.

Development and feeding potential of the green lacewingChrysoperla carnea Steph. (Neur. Chrysopidae) on different insect pests of cotton

Results of laboratory experiments revealed that the total development period (egg to adult emergence) of the common green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea lasted for 19.15, 19.35, 19.95, 20.15, 20.60 and 22.50 days when the larvae were fed with Bemisia tabaci, eggs of Corcyra cephalonica, Heliothis armigera, Aphis gossypii, Amrasca biguttula and neonates of Heliothis armigera respectively. Larval development was rapid on eggs of C. cephalonica (8.20 days) and prolonged on neonates of H. armigera (11.10 days). Pupal development period was quicker on B. tabaci and A. biguttula (7.40 days) and prolonged on neonates of H. armigera (8.40 days).

Resistance to Insecticides in the Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperla carnea (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) in Southern Ontario

Populations of Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens) were resistant to a wide range of insecticides, including most of the commonly used groups (pyrethroids, organophosphorous insecticides, carbamates) used in orchards. Resistance was partially because of enhanced metabolism of pesticides by resistant C. carnea larvae. Metabolism was by oxidative and esteratic routes; the relative importance of the two systems depended upon the pesticide. In laboratory cultures, resistance to organophosphorous insecticides declined approximately 10 times (3 times for pyrethroids) over 3 yr, suggesting that careful quality controls are required for mass-rearing programs. Provided that resistance can be stabilized at high levels in the laboratory colony, the wide range of resistance shown here makes C. carnea a prime candidate for mass releases of pesticide-resistant beneficial organisms for use in IPM programs.