BIOLOGY AND FEEDING POTENTIAL OF OENOPIA-QUADRIPUNCTATA KAPUR, A COCCINELLID PREDATOR OF AN OAK APHID TUBERCULATUS (ACANTHOCALLIS) NERVATUSCHAKRABARTI AND RAYCHAUDHURI

The biological and feeding potential studies of a coccinellid predator , Oenopia quadripunctata Kapur were studied in the laboratory by feedi ng on the oak aphid Tuberculatus (Acanthocallis) nervatus Chakrabarti and Raychaudhuri at 17.1+/-0.4-degrees-C and 50.3+/-1.9% R. H. This ha s revealed that the egg, larva, pre-pupa and pupa stages look 4.5, 15. 5, 1.2 and 6.5 days respectively. Life cycle from eggs to adult was 27 .7 days. Average total fecundity of a female is 367 eggs in 85.6 days. Adult longevity averaged 110 days in female and 81 days in male. A to tal of 341 aphids were consumed by a single larva during the larval pe riod. 4th instar larva is more voracious than other instars.