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Blaptostethus pallescens Poppius (Heteroptera:Anthocoridae),which is amenable to mass rearing,has proved to be a potential predator of sucking pests like mites and thrips.Recently,the cotton mealybug Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley emerged as a serious pest on cotton in India.Laboratory studies indicated that B.pallescens could feed on the cotton mealybug.Hence,further investigations were conducted to understand the stage of the predator which is most potential and the pest stage preferred by the predator.Mature nymphs and adults of B.pallescens could predate equally well on the neonates of cotton mealybug.Young (three to four-day-old) nymphs of the predator could not feed on any stage of the cotton mealybug.Mature nymphs (seven-day-old and above) and adults could effectively predate on both young and mature cotton mealybug crawlers,though preference was more for the younger crawlers.However,nymphs and adults of B.pallescens could not predate on the adult stage of the mealybug.Different predator:pest ratios were tested in cage studies and it emerged that B.pallescens adults released against the mealybug crawlers at a ratio of 1:5 and nymphal release at 1:10 caused maximum mortality of the mealybug crawlers.Considering the fast multiplication rate of cotton mealybug and the large number of predators which have to be released to manage them,further detailed studies are necessary on utilizing B.pallescens to target the neonates and younger stages of the cotton mealybug in field conditions.
Blaptostethus pallescens Poppius (Heteroptera: Anthocoridae), which is amenable to mass rearing, has proved to be a potential predator of sucking pests like mites and thrips. Recently, the cotton mealybug Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley emerged as a serious pest on cotton in India. Laboratory. studies indicated that B.pallescens could feed on the cotton mealybug.ence, further investigations were conducted to understand the stage of the predator which is most potential and the pest stage preferred by the predator. Nature nymphs and adults of B. palcecens could predate equally well on the neonates of cotton mealybug. Young (three to four-day-old) nymphs of the predator could not feed on any stage of the cotton mealybug. Nature nymphs (seven-day-old and above) and adults could effectively predate on both young and mature cotton mealybug crawlers, though preference was more for the younger crawlers. Still, nymphs and adults of B. pallescens could not predate on the adult stage of the mealybug.Different predator: pest ratios were tested in cage studies and it previously that B. palcecens adults released against the mealybug crawlers at a ratio of 1: 5 and nymphal release at 1:10 causing maximum mortality of the mealybug crawlers. Consistently the fast multiplication rate of cotton mealybug and the large number of predators which have to be released to manage them, further detailed studies are necessary on utilizing B. pallescens to target the neonates and younger stages of the cotton mealybug in field conditions.