LABORATORY STUDY OF CHRYSOPERLA-CARNEA (STEPHENS) (NEUROPT., CHRYSOPIDAE) PREDATION ON TRIALEURODES-VAPORARIORUM (WESTWOOD) (HOM., ALEYRODIDAE)

Larvae of the green lacewing, Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens), were rais ed on immature stages of the greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporar iorum (Westwood). Whitefly of all stages were consumed, but none of th e lacewings survived to pupation. First instar lacewings fed on whitef ly eggs survived longest. Eggs and first larval instar whitefly were e aten in the greatest quantities. In a second experiment, lacewing firs t instar larvae were fed on whitefly eggs plus a food supplement. They did not survive longer than those fed on whitefly eggs alone. It is c oncluded that although they would not survive to produce a stable popu lation in the greenhouse, inundative releases of lacewing larvae might be effective as a supplementary control method.