Feeding Behaviour of Coccinella septempunctata and Coccinella transversalis Yadav Neelam1,*, Agrawal Neerja1 1Department of Entomology, Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur208002, Uttar Pradesh, India *Email: neelu.amogh@gmail.com (corresponding author)
Online Published on 18 October, 2023. Abstract The mass production of coccinellids at the Biocontrol Laboratory of Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur included laboratory studies on the predatory behaviour of Coccinella septempunctata L. and C. transversalis (F.) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). The study was done with the natural food, Lipaphis erysimi and Brevicoryne brassicae (Hemiptera: Aphididae). The predatory efficiency of the larvae and adults was determined by quantitative method of aphids consumed. The results revealed that the feeding rate increased gradually from the first to fourth larval instar, irrespective of the aphid host, with the first instars being less voracious than later ones. Top Keywords Coccinella septempunctata, C. transversalis, Lipaphis erysimi, Brevicoryne brassicae, Life stages, Feeding behaviour, Predatory efficiency, Larval instars, Adults. Top |