Biological studies and life table of Cycloneda sanguinea (L.) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) fed on the cowpea aphid, Aphis craccivora Koch (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

The aim of the work was to estimate the biological and population parameters of Cycloneda sanguinea (L.) on Aphis craccivora Koch under laboratory conditions. The experiments were carried out in an acclimatized room at 25 ± 2 °C, 72 ± 10 % RH and photoperiod 12:12 (L:D). The development time of egg, larval, prepupal and pupal stages were 2 ± 0; 6.2 ± 0.5; 0.6 ± 0.2 and 3.1 ± 0.2 days, respectively. The sex ratio was 1: 0.76 and longevity of virgin adults was 83.8 ± 11.4 and 83.1 ± days for females and males, respectively. The fecund females lived during 75.7 ± 16.9 days and had a fecundity of 1 828 ± 385 eggs/female with pre-oviposition period of 6.0 ± 1.1 days. The survival curve was type I with mortality concentrated in old adults, and the fecundity curve showed two oviposition peaks on days 30 and 35. In addition, the net reproductive rate was 718.78 female egg/female, in a generation time of 35 days with intrinsic rate of natural increase of 0.180 and a finite rate of increase of 1.197. Biological data and life table results indicate that C. sanguinea can be a valuable natural enemy of A. craccivora due to its fast development and high reproductive capacity