The effect of diet and temperature regimes on development and reproduction of green lacewing, a natural enemy of the common pistachio psyllid

The green lacewing, Chrysoperla lucasina is considered as a predator of the common pistachio psylla, Agonoscena pistaciae in the pistachio plantation areas of Rafsanjan, Iran. Some biological parameters of the green lacewing were examined under controlled conditions using three constant temperatures e.g., 25, 27.5 and 30ºC, and four prey diets e.g., 4th instar pistachio psyllid nymphs, eggs and 1st instar pistachio psyllid nymphs, cowpea aphid nymphs, Aphis craccivora and flour moth’s eggs, Sitotroga cerealella. The results showed that both temperature and diet regimes influence on preimaginal development and survival of the predatory lacewing significantly. Developmental periodof larvae were shortest while fed on either cowpea aphid nymphs or 4th instar pistachio psyllid nymphs and temperature of 30ºC. The weight of green lacewing cocoons were higher for those reared on 4th instar pistachio psyllid nymphs in larval stage. The larvae of C. lucasina fed on 1016, 4th instar psyllid nymphs and 315, 3rd instar cowpea aphids through the whole larval period at 30ºC. The preimaginal diets caused significant influence on fecundity and longevity of adult green lacewing. The reproduction potential of green lacewing was declined by increasing temperature through 22.5 to 32.5ºC severely.The intrinsic rate of natural increases (rm) of this insect was obtained 0.11 and 0.09 while it was reared using 4th instar pistachio psyllid nymphs and flour moth’s eggs at 25ºC through larval stage repectively.