FEEDING POTENTIAL OF LADY BIRD BEETLE, BRUMUS SUTURALIS FABRICIUS (COLEOPTERA: COCCINELLIDAE) ON COTTON MEALY BUG PHENACOCCUS SOLENOPSIS (TINSLEY) IN LABORATORY AND FIELD

An experiment was conducted to determine the feeding potential of lady bird beetle, Brumus suturalis (Fab.) on cotton Mealy bug, Phenacoccus solenopsis in the laboratory and field conditions in Department of Entomology, Sindh Agricultural University, Tandojam, Pakistan during July – August, 2007. The laboratory results revealed that B. suturalis was voracious feeder of Mealy bugs. The fourth instar devoured maximum mean number of Mealy bugs (55.11±1.38) /day/larva followed by third instar (32.51±1.09), second instar (32.5±0.08) and first instar (25.1±1.41) Mealy bug and the adults female devoured more number of Mealy bug (131.51±2.10) than male (129.57±314) per day under laboratory conditions (26+2°C). The field results showed that, fourth instar devoured more mean number of Mealy bugs / day / larva of (34.6±1.41), followed by third instar (25.0±0.63), second instar (23.7±0.47) and first instar (19.0±0.16) Mealy bug/larva/day) and the adults female devoured more mean number (72.03 ± 6.16) than male (69.9 ± 6.31) per day. The lower consumption rate in the field may be attributed to the additional time required by the predators in searching of prey.