POTENTIAL OF ADULT CARABIDS (COLEOPTERA, CARABIDAE) AS PREDATORS OF 5TH-INSTAR CODLING MOTH (LEPIDOPTERA, TORTRICIDAE) IN APPLE ORCHARDS INCALIFORNIA

This investigation compared the potential of adult carabids (ground be etles) as predators of fifth-instar codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.) . The three objectives of the research were the following: (1) to dete rmine which species could kill C. pomonella, (2) to compare the degree of carnivory and consumption pattern of selected species of carabids, and (3) to estimate carabid predation of C. pomonella in the field. T he results indicated that 75% or more of Pterostichus lustrans LeConte , Pterostichus cursitor LeConte, Pterostichus (Hypherpes) spp., Harpal us pensylvanicus DeGeer, or Anisodactylus californicus Dejean individu als were capable of killing C. pomonella in the laboratory. The most e ffective predators were species of Pterostichus, even when an alternat ive plant food (rolled oats) was provided. An average of 60% of tether ed C. pomonella were consumed each night by carabids in early June, bu t predation intensity declined June-July. The carabid species seen att acking tethered prey included Agonum punctiforme Say, Calathus ruficol lis Dejean, H. pensylvanicus, and P. (Hypherpes) spp. Adults of Pteros tichus species appear to be important early-season predators of C. pom onella in orchards.