FEEDING POTENTIAL AND LARVAL DEVELOPMENT OF CHRYSOPERLA CARNEA (STEPHEN) ON DIFFERENT PREY SPECIES UNDER LABORATORY CONDITION

A laboratory study was carried out to examine feeding potential and larval development of Chrysoperla carnea (Stephen) on Banana aphid, (Coquerel), Safflower aphid, Uroleucon carthami (Theo) and Jassid, Emposca devastans (Distant) at temperature 27 ± 2 and relative humidity 65 ± 5 during 2011. The result showed that 1 st instar C. carnea larvae consumed 8.6±0.35 nymphs/day of P. nigronervosa, whereas the 2 nd and 3 rd instar devoured 16.3±0.54 and 20.3±0.56 nymphs/day respectively. Similarly, feeding on U. carthami revealed that 1 st instar larvae of C. carnae consumed 6.26±0.31 nymphs/day followed by 2 nd and 3 rd instar 12.5±0.37 and 18.6±0.40 nymphs/day respectively. The consumption rate of 1 st instar larva on jassid was recorded as (6.06±0.49 nymphs/day), whereas the 2 nd and 3 rd instars consumed 11.9±0.50 and 18.3±0.49 nymphs, respectively. Significant difference (P<0.05) in prey preference and feeding potentioal of the instars were recorded. The larvae of C. carnea consumed99.4±2.58 nymphs of banana aphids in its entire life followed by safflower Aphid (81.00) and jassids (36.6±0.92). The 1 st instar larvae spent 3 days to be transformed in to subsequent instar. Whereas 2 nd and 3 rd instars non- significantly spent 2 days to transform in to subsequent stages, respectively. Furthermore, no significant (P<0.05) difference was observed in rate of development (0.33 - day ) of the 1 st instar lavae fed on P.nigronervosa, U. carthami and E. devastans and so as the 2 nd (0.22 - day ) and 3 rd instar larvae (0.22 - day ) on all above mentioned preys. However, LSD further revealed the larvae of C. carnea developed non-significantly on Safflower aphid and Jassid.