New records of predation on eggs of Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) by Chrysopodes (Chrysopodes) lineafrons (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) in Northwestern Argentina

Bemisia tabaci has become a major economic importance pest, affecting several crops worldwide. Among their natural enemies, species of Chrysopidae family, with larvae predators of different pests, are a very effective biological control agent. The developmental time and survival of the immature stages of Chrysopodes (Chrysopodes) lineafrons, and the longevity and oviposition of adults fed with eggs of B. tabaci was determined. C. (C.) lineafrons adults were collected in tomato crops in Lules department, Tucumán province. To determine the developmental duration of each instar, and larvae survival, 90 eggs of C. (C.) lineafrons were randomly selected, of which only 71 eggs hatched; of these, 34 larvae were fed with B. tabaci eggs and 37 with Sitotroga cerealella eggs, used as control. Oviposition and longevity of adults fed with the two preys were recorded. C. (C.) lineafrons larvae consumed an average of 127.04 B. tabaci eggs and 44 S. cerealella eggs per day. Mean developmental time of C. (C.) lineafrons fed with B. tabaci eggs was 45 days; while for those fed with S. cerealella eggs it was 35 days. Immature stages survival, number of eggs per adults and longevity were higher when C. (C.) lineafrons were fed with S. cerealella eggs than with B. tabaci eggs. C. (C.) lineafrons proved to be an efficient predator, thus representing an excellent tool for the biological control of B. tabaci in tomato crops .