BEHAVIOURAL RELATIONS BETWEEN THE GREEN LACEWING, CHRYSOPERLA CARNEA STEPH. AND ITS PREYS: I. INFLUENCE OF PREVIOUS FEEDING CONDITIONS

S.A.EL ARNAOUTY AND A. FERRAN*
Laboratory of Biological Control, Fac. Agric., Cairo University (Egypt), Cairo, Egypt
* Laboratoire de Biologie de Invertébrés, 37 bd du Cap 06606, Antibes (France)

ABSTRACT

The predaceous larvae of Chrysoperla carnea (Steph.) reared on Myzus persicae (Suizer) or Ephestia kuehniella Zell. eggs, presented as significant preference as a first choice towards the wingless females of M persicae. The predator reared on E. kuehniella eggs, consumed more preys than that reared on M persicae. For the feeding sequences, the data analysis revealed that the most frequent feeding pattern is two successive (spacewide) prey consumption. The colony reared on M persicae exhibited a higher frequency than that reared on E. kuehniella of non successive prey consumption, whereas this latter colony presented a higher frequency of 3 to 4 successive prey consumption than the first one.

Key Words: Chrysoperla carnea, Feeding preferences, Behaviour, Feeding sequence, conditioning.