Feeding Preference of Anthocorid Predators for Parasitized and Unparasitized Eggs of Corcyra cephalonica (Stainton) and Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner)*

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Authors

  • Project Directorate of Biological Control, Post Box No. 2491 H.A. Farm Post, Bellary Road, Bangalore - 560024, Karnataka ,IN
  • Project Directorate of Biological Control, Post Box No. 2491 H.A. Farm Post, Bellary Road, Bangalore - 560024, Karnataka ,IN

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18311/jbc/2007/15038

Keywords:

Anthocorid Predators, Blaptostethus Pallescens, Feeding Preference, Lepidopteran Pests. Orius Tantillus, Thrips, Trichogramma Chilonis

Abstract

Laboratory studies were conducted to check the feeding preferencc of anthocorid predators, Orius tantillus (Motsch.) and Blaptostethus pallescens Poppius for unparasitized eggs of Coreyra cephalonica (Stainton) and Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) and those parasitized by Trichogramma chilonis Ishii. In a no-choice situation, O. Tantillus and B. Pallescens nymphs devoured more than 90 per cent of the unparasitized C. Cephalonica eggs provided and only 1.6 and 10 percent, respectively, of the parasitized eggs, while such a preferential feeding was not observed in adults. Given a choice of parasitized and un parasitized C. Cephalonica eggs, nymphs and adults of both the species of anthocorids preferred to feed on unparasitised eggs. In the experiments with H. Armigera eggs, the significantly higher preference the nymphal and adult stages of both anthocorid predators for unparasitized eggs, indicated that it may be possible to integrate releases of anthocorids and trichogrammatids for biololgical control of lepidopteran pests/thrips in different crop ecosystems.