Laboratory survey on biological and demographic parameters of Cryptolaemus montrouzieri (Mulsant) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) fed on two mealybug species

Abdollahi Ahi, Gholam Ali; Afshari, Ali; Baniameri, Valiollah; Dadpour, Hemmat; Yazdanian, Mohsen; Golizadeh, Ali

doi:10.48311/jcp.2015.1212

Laboratory survey on biological and demographic parameters of Cryptolaemus montrouzieri (Mulsant) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) fed on two mealybug species

Authors

Gholam Ali Abdollahi Ahi ¹

Ali Afshari ¹

Valiollah Baniameri ²

Hemmat Dadpour ³

Mohsen Yazdanian ¹

Ali Golizadeh ⁴

¹ Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Plant Production, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran.

² Department of Agricultural Entomology, Plant Protection Research Institute, Tehran, Iran.

³ Biological Control Research Laboratory, Plant Protection Research Institute, Amol, Iran.

⁴ Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran.

10.48311/jcp.2015.1212

Abstract

Biological and demographic parameters of the mealybug ladybird, Cryptolaemus montrouzieri (Mulsant) were evaluated on citrus mealybug, Planococcus citri (Risso) and obscure mealybug, Pseudococcus viburni (Signoret) under 24 ± 2 ºC, 80 ± 5% relative humidity and a photoperiod of 16:8 (L: D) h. The mealybugs had a significant effect on developmental time and reproductive and demographic parameters of the ladybird. Life span (egg to adult death) was obtained 220.85 ± 5.78 and 119.44 ± 2.1 days when fed on Pl. citri and Ps. viburni, respectively. However, mean number of eggs per female (fecundity) and mean percent of egg hatching were significantly higher on Ps. viburni than on Pl. citri. In addition, values of intrinsic rate of increase (r_m), finite rate of increase (λ) andnet reproductive rate (R₀) were significantly higher on Ps. viburni than on Pl. citri.The values of intrinsic rate of increase were estimated 0.081and 0.094 day^-1 on Pl. citri and Ps. viburni, respectively. Results of this study suggested that the obscure mealybug is a more suitable prey than the citrus mealybug as the ladybird displayed shorter developmental time, and higher fecundity and growth rate when fed with obscure mealybug.

Keywords

Life table

Mealybug ladybird

Pseudococcidae