Predators in entomology

1. Mass Production of Green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea
(Neuroptera: Chrysopidae)
• The green lacewings, Chrysoperla carnea is a cosmopolitan predator found in a
wide range of agricultural habitats.
• They are important for the management of bollworms and aphids in cotton and
tobacco and several sucking pests in fruit crops.
• In India, 65 species of chrysopids belonging to 21 genera have been recorded from
various crop ecosystems.
• Some species are distributed widely and are important natural enemies for aphids
and other soft bodied insects.
• It is being mass produced on the eggs of rice moth, Corcyra cephalonica in India.

2. Morphology :
Egg: are stalked and green in colour.
• The eggs are laid singly or in clusters.
• Eggs turn pale whitish and then black before hatching.
Larva: is white in colour on hatching.
• The larva has 3 instars
• The larva spins a cocoon
Adult:
• Adults on emergence mate repeatedly.
• Adult females start laying eggs from 5th day onwards and peak egg-laying period
is between 9-23 days after emergence.

4. Life cycle

6. Mass Production procedure
Take a glass jar and keep artificial diet for adult
(Yeast + Fructose + Honey + Proteinex R + Water in 1:1:1:1 ratio)
Release adults of Chrysopa in inside the glass jar
Jars are covered with perforated brown/black sheet for egg laying
Remove brown sheets along with Chrysopa eggs from jar and keep it in separate jar
On hatching, transfer the larvae into individual vials
Provide UV treated Corcyra eggs for grubs as a food up to pupation
Collection of Cocoons after 24 hr of formation
Cocoons are placed in adult oviposition cages for emergence

7. Field release
Chrysopids @ 50,000 or 1,00,000 1st instar larvae/ha & 4-6 larvae/plant or 10-20 larvae/fruit plant.

8. Mass Production of
Australian ladybird beetle
Cryptolaemus montrouzieri

12. Morphology and Biology :
 Adult female beetle lays eggs either singly or in groups of 2-6 in the mealybug colonies.
 Freshly laid egg is pale yellowish white, smooth and cylindrical both ends being smoothly
rounded.
 Incubation period varies from 4 to 6 days.
 Newly hatched larva is smooth and pale greyish, and white wax strands develop on the body
after 24 hrs of hatching.
 There are four larval instars.
 The larval stage is completed in about 15 days.
 Pupa -dark or yellow-orange in colour
 The pupal period varies from 7 to 9 days.
 The life cycle is usually completed in about 30 days under normal conditions.
 Adult is a black beetle measuring about 4 mm long with an orange head.
 In males, the first pair of legs is brown and the other two pairs are black, whereas in the
female all the three pairs are black.
 Generally the male to female ratio is found to be equal.
 A single adult female lays about 200 eggs. The longevity of adult varies from 50 to 80 days.

14. Life cycle

15. Mass multiplication
Take medium size pumpkin with ridges, grooves and stalk and wash thoroughly
Release ovisacs of mealy bugs on pumpkin
Transfer pumpkin to rearing cage for multiplication of mealy bugs
Release adults of C. montrouzieri on 25 days old mealy bug colony
The beetle feed on mealy bugs as well as deposits their eggs singly or in groups of 4-12 on
pumpkin
The young grubs feed on eggs and small mealy bugs but as they grow they become voracious
and feed on all stages of mealy bugs
For pupation of grubs, keep pieces of paper strips
Collect the emerged adults for further mass production or field release

18. Release rate :
• A release rate of 5000 beetles/ha is recommended to suppress the pest population.
• Two to three releases are to be made annually depending upon the severity of pest infestation.
Target pests :
1) Green shield scales : on guava, mango, coffee and ornamental plants.
2) Mealybugs : citrus, grapes, mango, custard apple pomegranate, pineapple, ber, passion
fruit, avocado, coffee, brinjal, beans, ornamentals, tobacco, sugarcane etc