Longevity and Oviposition of Vedalia Beetles 1 on Artificial Diets

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Abstract
Adult coccidophagous beetles, Rodolia cardinalis Muls. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), were reared on artificial diets. On lyophilized drone honey bee brood fortified with sucrose (DPS), female beetles survived longer (76.3 days) but laid fewer eggs (106.3) than control fed on living Icerya purchasi Maskell scales (38.6 days and 489.2, respectively). On sucrose or a chemically defined diet they also survived longer but laid only about 20 eggs. The beetles produced more eggs when I. purchasi was combined with DPS or other artificial diets. Beetles fed I. purchasi 1 day and DPS for two days oviposited 80% of the control level and beetles fed I. purchasi 1 day and sucrose for 2 days oviposited 120% of the control level. Controls were fed only I. purchasi . This technique makes it possible to breed vedalia beetles under controlled conditions with a small number of natural prey scales.

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