Study on the effect of aphid species and its host plant on feeding rate and longevity of Chrysoperla carnea (neut.:chrysopidae)

The effect of aphid species and its host plant on feeding rate and longevity of green lacewing(Chrysoperla carnea) was studied. The Sitobion avenae and Aphis nerri were selected as the hosts of green lacewing. In this study, we used A. nerri, S. avenae fed on wheat as main host and S. avenae fed on oleander as compulsory host to study feeding rate and longevity of Ch. carnea The experiments were conducted in laboratory conditions (25 ± 2° C 7 ± 05 % RH and photoperiod of 16L: 8D). Based on the data obtained, Significant effects of aphid species and their the host plants on feeding rate and longevity of green lacewing were observed. The average feeding rate of 2nd instar larvae of Ch.. carnea on wheat aphid fed on wheat, oleander aphid and wheat aphid fed on oleander were 40.30,±0.98, 19.50,±50 and 30.6±1.1 aphids respectively. In addition, the longevity of 2nd instar larvae of green lacewing which fed on different mentioned hosts were recorded as 3.7±0.15, 7.8±0.29 and 6±0.21 days, respectively. The results showed that biological characteristics of larvae of Ch. carneaare were influenced by their food quality.