PREDATION RATES, SURVIVORSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT OF PODISUS-MACULIVENTRIS (HET, PENTATOMIDAE) ON LARVAE OF LEPTINOTARSA-DECEMLINEATA (COL, CHRYSOMELIDAE) AND PIERIS-BRASSICAE (LEP, PIERIDAE), UNDER FIELD CONDITIONS

The mean predation rate per day and the effect of the prey on the deve lopment and survival of the various nymphal stages of Podisus maculive ntris (Say) were studied under field-cage conditions. Third instar lar vae of the Colorado potato beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) and the large white butterfly Pieris brassicae (Linnaeus) were used as the prey. The results show that under climatic conditions similar to thos e occurring in the Thessaloniki region (N. Greece), the 5th instar nym phs and the adults of the predator P. maculiventris would be promising agents for the biological control of larvae of L. decemlineata and P. brassicae.