OLFACTORY REACTIONS OF CRYPTOLAEMUS-MONTROUZIERI MULSANT (COL, COCCINELLIDAE) AND CHRYSOPERLA-CARNEA (STEPHENS) (NEUR, CHRYSOPIDAE) IN RELATION TO PERIOD OF STARVATION

In a laboratory study, it was tried to measure the extent of olfactory responses of two predators namely Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant a nd Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens) to their respective preys at varied l evels of their starvation. Results indicated that both the predators, irrespective of their developmental stage, oriented more positively to their preys odour when they were deprived of food for certain period of time than they did so when tested directly without subjecting them to starvation. The first, second, third and fourth instar larvae and a dults of C. montrouzieri showed maximum response at 4 h, 8 h, 12 h, 12 h and 24 h of starvation, respectively. Similarly, the larvae of C. c arnea responded maximum with 4 h, 8 h and 12 h of hunger in first, sec ond and third instar, respectively. However it was also evident that t he continued starvation for more than certain ideal period affected th e predators olfactory orientation negatively. But the adults of C. mon trouzieri differed slightly in their behavior as they could respond po sitively for comparatively longer period of starvation.