EVALUATION OF VARIOUS DIETS FOR MASS REARING OF LADYBIRD BEETLE (Coccinella septempunctata) AT PAKISTAN

A polyphagous predator, Coccinella septempunctata L. is a key to develop as biological control agent of aphids on edible crops and vegetables. Larvae, pupae and adults of C. septempunctata were fed on natural and artificial diets to determine fecundity, longevity and sex ratio on various ingredients to develop a successful mass rearing technique. Six different diets were used viz. D-1 (Natural Diet), D-2 (Protein Hydrolyzate 2 g + casein protein 2.5 g + honey 4 g + dry aphid 2 g + water 100 mL), D-3 (yeast 2 g + agar 1.8 g + honey 6 g + water 100 mL), D-4 (protein hydrolyzate 1 g + honey 4 g + dry aphid 2 g + water 100 mL), D-5 (casein protein 1.5 g + honey 4 g + dry aphid 2 g + water 100 mL), D-6 (honey 10 g + water 100 mL). Results showed that natural diet D-1 produced maximum number of eggs 243.5 while among the artificial diets D-2 and D-4 produced a maximum of 23.76 and 17.89 eggs, respectively. Effect of different diets was tested on longevity of different life stages. Minimum longevity of egg, larval, pupal and adult stages were recorded as D-1 (3.64 days) and D-4 (4.65 days), D-1 (7.32 days) and D-2 (10.87 days), D-1 (8.27 days) and D-2 (11.28 days), D-1 (11.38 days) and D-2 (17.25 days), respectively. Maximum percent emergence of larval, pupal and adult stages was recorded in D-1 (89.45 days) and D-2 (72.14 days), D-1 (91.32 days) and D-2 (83.58 days), D-1 (79.27 days) and D-4 (65.87 days), respectively. D-6 gave maximum adult duration of 81.87 days while there was no significant difference of sex ratio among various diets components