edation Efficacy of Menochilus sexmaculatus Fabricus (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) against Macrosiphum rosae under laboratory conditions

Abstract

To evaluate predatory efficacy of Menochilus sexmaculatus Fab. On rose aphid Macrosiphum rosae, a laboratory experiment was escorted at 27±2 oC and 62±5% relative humidity (RH) at Entomological Research Institute, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad during 2012. Predatory efficacy of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th instars larvae of M. sexmaculatus was recorded as 8.40±0.50, 13.60±0.81, 28.60±1.50 and 57.40±4.67 aphids, respectively and the predatory efficacy of male and female adults was found to be 802. 40±2.56 and 916.60±1.69 aphids respectively. The results unveil the 4th instars larvae with the highest predation performance while the 1st larval instars reported the lowest. The female beetles were found to be more cogent in aphid predation as compared with the males.