Oviposition and longevity of Coccinella sp. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) on artificial diets

Coccinella sp. is a polyphagous predator which is potential to be developed into a biological control agent for aphids. The research aimed to determine the oviposition and longevity of the adults of the predator when given artificial food and various kinds of drinks. The experiment was performed by placing a pair of adults into a Petri dish, covered with a piece of filter paper, containing five mg of food made of ground honey bee larvae (Apis cerana) and then given a drink that is stored or absorbed on a sponge or a cotton swab as a treatment. There were nine treatments and each repeated three times. The results showed that significant differences among the treatments were present, both in the number of groups of eggs and the number of individual eggs produced by an adult predator. The highest number of eggs (323.7 eggs) and the number of egg groups (69.3) laid by an adult was found when the adult was presented with the artificial food and drink of sugar solution in the sponge. When the predator was supplied with the artificial food and water in a sponge, the lowest number of individual eggs and groups of eggs were laid, 65.00 eggs and 19.7 egg groups, respectively. Longevity of the female predator was the longest when given a drink of sugar solution compared to the other treatments. For mass-rearing of predator Coccinella sp. on artificial diet, drinks solution made of honey or sugar solution prepared in the sponge should be added