Biology of Chrysoperla comanche (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae)-Should This Predator Be Considered for Insectary...

The immature development, larval food consumption, and adult fecundity of Chrysoperla comanche (Banks), as a predator of the leafhopper Erasmoneura variabilis (Beamer), were determined. The threshold temperatures of egg, first, second, and third instars, and pupal stages were 10.6, 12.9, 11.5, 10.3, and 11.0 °C, respectively, and their corresponding accumulated degree days (DDs) were 73.5, 38.5, 37.4, 44.3 and 140.4 DD. When placed in an outdoor cage, field-collected adults continued to deposit eggs during the winter months. The weight of 3 d-old cocoons was negatively related to temperature, indicating that cocoon weights decrease as temperatures near the lethal thresholds. Larvae consumed ~250 late instar E. variabilis. At 26.7 °C. Adults had an average pre-ovipositional period of 5.8 days and produced an average of 1108 eggs over their entire life of 53.6 days, with 77.3% (857 eggs) of eggs produced in the first 30 days of reproduction. The results are discussed with respect to the application and commercial production of C. comanche in biological control programs, as well as the feasibility of insectaries to produce specialty natural enemies.