Predatory Capacity of the Green Lacewing Chrysoperla zastrowi (Esben-Petersons) on Different Species of Aphids under Laboratory Conditions

Green lacewing, Chrysoperla zastrowi (Esben-Petersons) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) is the most effective polyphagous predator of different species of aphids and is commonly known as “aphid lion.” During the study, the green lacewing adults were collected from the flowers of different crop plants in Meerut region. The experiment on feeding potential of green lacewing was studied in the Bio-control Laboratory of Department of Entomology, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture & Technology, Meerut from November 2019 to March 2020. The known number of predatory larvae of green lacewings were fed with known number of six different species of live aphids. The total food consumption of a single larva of C. zastrowi were found to be in order of 180.00 ± 1.24 A. craccivora, 171.33 ± 4.42 A. gossypii, 157.67 ± 1.49 B. brassicae, 142.67 ± 2.36 L. erysimi, 131.34 ± 2.19 R. maidis and 119.67 ± 2.94 M. persicae. Results revealed that the third instar were found more voracious than other two instar.