FEEDING POTENTIAL AND BIOLOGY OF COCCINELLID PREDATOR CHEILOMENES SEXMACULATA (FABRICIUS) (COLEOPTERA) ON APHID HOSTS (original) (raw)

Laboratory studies were conducted to find out the consumption rate and biology of coccinellid predator Cheilomenes sexmaculata (Fabricius), on aphid hosts, viz., Aphis craccivora Koch, Aphis gossypii Glover, Rhopalosiphum maidis (Fitch) and Lipaphis erysimi (Kaltenbach). The potential hosts, beginning with the best may be arranged as A. craccivora, A. gossypii, R. maidis, and L. erysimi in descending order. The 4 th instar grubs consumed significantly more aphids when compared to 1 st , 2 nd and 3 rd instars. The per day predation rate (number of aphids) by female beetle on A. craccivora was 37.2±3.32, followed by A. gossypii (35.2±2.22), R. maidis (31.6±2.44), and L. erysimi (23±0.94). Male could feed only 35.8±2.67 of A. craccivora, followed by 30.8±1.98 of A. gossypii, 27.8±4.28 of R. maidis, and 20.8±1.15 of L. erysimi. Male and female longevity was lowest (26.8±1.71 and 34.6±1.36 days) on L. erysimi and longest (41.6± 0.98 and 48.2± 2.67 days) on A. craccivora. The decreasing order of development rate observed of C. sexmaculata was A. craccivora > A. gossypii > R. maidis > L. erysimi.