LIFE-HISTORY OF CHRYSOPERLA-RUFILABRIS (NEUROPTERA, CHRYSOPIDAE) PROVIDED SWEET-POTATO WHITEFLY BEMISIA-TABACI (HOMOPTERA, ALEYRODIDAE) ANDOTHER FOOD

We studied predation, development, longevity, survival, body length, h ead width, body weight, and prey preference of the predator, Chrysoper la rufilabris (Burmeister) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) feeding on the sw eetpotato whitefly (SPW), Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Homoptera: Aleyr odidae), Aphis gossypii Glover (Homoptera: Aphididae), an artificial d iet (meridic casein-yeast), and eggs of Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) (Lepidoptera: No ctuidae), and Manduca sexta (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae). C. r ufilabris larvae attacked an average of 532 SPW per day when prey was mainly eggs. Development of C. rufilabris larvae was longer when SPW, aphids, or an artificial diet alone was provided. However, with a comb ination of eggs and first instars of SPW and an artificial diet or S. cerealella eggs, development of larvae was shortened with increased su rvivorship, adult emergence, and body weight. Larvae of C. rufilabris preferred S. cerealella eggs over H. zea and M. sexta eggs or B. tabac i. An artificial diet may be an appropriate supplementary food for rea ring C. rufilabris where labor costs are high. The impact of C. rufila bris on sweetpotato whitefly population dynamics is discussed. (C) 199 4 Academic Press, Inc.