The document describes procedures for mass producing two natural enemies - Cryptolaemus montrouzieri and Chrysoperla carnea. It details the process for rearing their host, the rice moth Corcyra cephalonica, on sterilized sorghum grains. Larvae of C. carnea are then reared on irradiated C. cephalonica eggs in individual containers to avoid cannibalism. Adults are provided with pollen and a honey-yeast-protein solution. Eggs are collected daily. Cryptolaemus montrouzieri and Chrysoperla carnea produced using these methods can be released against various agricultural pests.

2. MASS PRODUCTION OF CRYPTOLAEMAS
AND CRYSOPERLA
Prepared by
Mr. Mahesh Vikram Sable
Assistant Professor
Department of Plant Pathology
College of Agriculture, Ashti

3.  Rice moth, Corcyra cephalonica is used as a laboratory
host for the production of natural enemies like
Trichogramma, Crytolaemas and Crysoperla

4. PRODUCTION PROCEDURE OF CORCYRA
CEPHALONICA
 Bold white sorghum grains used for human
consumption can be used and sorghum should not
treated with insecticides.

5.  The required quantity of sorghum is milled to make
3-4 pieces of each grain.
 Sorghum is heat sterilized in oven at 1000 C for 30
minutes
 Sorghum is sprayed with 0.1 % formalin and air
dried to prevent the growth of moulds and increase
the grain humidity.
Milled
Sorghum
0.1 %
Formalin
Air
Drying

6.  Sorghum is poured @ 2.5 kg / Corcyra box
 Thoroughly mixed 100 g groundnut karnel extract +
1 g sulphur dust to avoid mite infection.
100 g
Ground
Nut Karnel
Extract
1 g
Sulphur
Dust
Avoid mite
infection

7.  To start with, 600 boxes (Each containing 2.5 kg of
sorghum / box) are infested with 300 cc of fresh laid
Corcyra egg (i.e. 0.5 cc / box) and the lid is secured
for about 30days.
 The 600 boxes is kept in rack and lid closed, on
40th day moth start emerging and emerging
continues for about two months.

8.  10 to 75 moth emerge daily with peak moth
emergence being between 65th and 75th day.
 The moth are collected daily and transferred to the
specially designed oviposition cages.
 Moth emergence reduces after 100 days of initial
infestation and boxes are reused after cleaning.

9.  Provide cotton soaked 20% honey+ vitamin E solution as
adult food in the egg laying chamber and collect the
eggs daily.
 Moth emergence reduces after 100 days of initial
infestation and boxes are reused after cleaning.
 Egg which pass through 15, 30 and 40 mesh sieve for
cleaning and are collected and run over a slope of paper
to eliminate dust particles.

10.  The egg are treated with UV rays.
 15 wt UV tube for 15 minutes at a distances of 2 feet to
prevent hatching.
 Utilize the Corcyra eggs for Trichogramma production
(or) host culture or store them in refrigerator at 10
degree centigrade for 7 days, if required

11. CRYSOPERLA CARNIA

13.  Green lace wing (Aphid Lion), Chrysoperla spp.
Is potent predator of many sucking pests.
 In the recent year use of green lace wing is
being recommended in bio intensive integrated
pest management.
 Laboratory Host:- Egg of Corcyra cephalonica
 Target Host:- Aphid, White flies, Jassids,
Thrips, egg and early stage of lepidopterous
pests

14. THE MASS PRODUCTION TECHNIQUE OF A
PREDATOR CHRYSOPERLA CARNEA
 Egg stalked and green (Stalk 2.26 mm long), duration 3-4
days
 Larvae 3 instars, duration 8 -10 days
 Pupae larva spins a cocoon, duration 5 – 7 days
 Pre - oviposition 3 – 7 days period, oviposition period 8 -
23 days
 Longevity Male- 30-35 days and Female 35-55 days
 Fecundity 200 to 800 eggs / female

15. MATERIAL
 Corcyra cephalonica rearing unit as given earlier for the
egg production
 Nucleus culture of Corcyra cephalonica rearing cage,
plastic jar, slotted angle iron rack, working table,
weighing balance, scissors, brushes, cotton wool,
forceps, tissue paper, brown paper separators, foam
sheet, sponge, acrylic sheet, fructose, proteinex, honey
yeast, castor pollen etc.

16. ADULT REARING
 Chrysoparla adult pair (20 - 30 pair) are released in
oviposition cage or chamber.
 The side of this cage are lined with black century paper of
appropriate size to accommodate the same in this
chamber.

17.  The top of the chamber is covered with netted nylon
cloth, with the help of rubber band
 Provide the caster pollen as a food for adult inside
the chamber.

18. ADULT FOOD
 Clean water 50 ml + Honey 2.5 g + Protinex 5 g +
Granular Yeast 8-10 granules + fructose 1 g.
 A piece of sponge soaked in above mixture is kept on the
netted nylon cloth at the top of the chamber.
 Note:- Fresh food be provided daily, egg be collected
daily along with century paper

19. REARING OF CHRYSOPERLA LARVAE
 The century paper having the egg be cut into small piece
in 2 * 2 cm. size and placed in plastic pot.
 In this plastic pot, the irradiation egg of Corcyra are
poured (2-3 cc) .
 Cover the plastic pot with the fine muslin cloth with
rubber band.

20.  After 2 to 3 days. The larva of chrysoperla is kept
separately in each glass vial or plastic container to
avoid cannibalism.
 Provides sufficient quantity of irradiated (800-1000)
Corcyra eggs as a host.
 Observe the pupation after 6 days

21.  Remove the unused egg.
 Observe the adult emergence after 5 – 6 days from
this lot.
 Transfer the newly emerged adult in the oviposition
chamber batch wise.

23.  A-I). Chrysoperla carnea Development (A) Sitotroga cerealella eggs (B)
Phenococcus solenopsis crawlers (C) Stalked eggs (D) Egg with inside developed
larva (E) 3 rd instar larva (F) Pupa with fully developed adults inside (G) Cocoon
(H) Empty pupal cases (Exuviea) (I) Adult.

24. UTILIZATION OF CHRYSOPIDS
 Normally chrysopids are recommended 10,000 egg per
ha against different crop pest like, Aphids, Jassids,
Thrips, Whiteflies, mealy bug, psylla, mites and egg and
early larval stage of bollworm, spodoptera, helicoverpa
etc.

25. METHOD OF RELEASE
 Cut the small piece is to be stapled egg card in which
single contains 3 – 4 eggs
 Such one piece is to stapled to the leaf of each plant
where the infestation of the host insect is available.
 After release on the next day, hatching egg takes place
and larva may start feeding on available stage of insect
for 10-12 days. Do not use pesticide.
rearing

27. PRODUCTION PROCEDURE OF
CRYPTOLAEMUS MONTROUZIERI