DEVELOPMENT AND FECUNDITY OF DERAEOCORIS-NEBULOSUS (HETEROPTERA, MIRIDAE) ON BEMISIA-ARGENTIFOLII (HOMOPTERA, ALEYRODIDAE)

The developmental and reproductive biology of the native predaceous mi rid Deraeocoris nebulosus was studied in the laboratory using immature s of the whitefly Bemisia argentifolii as prey. Nymphs were kept indiv idually in ventilated Petri dishes and provided with a constant supply of prey colonized on excised sweet potato leaves rooted in hydroponic solution and kept at 27 degrees C. Females were kept similarly and da ily egg production was recorded. There were five nymphal instars. Mean development from first instar to adult was 13.3 d; there were no sign ificant differences in development rate between the sexes. After a 3-d preoviposition period, females produced about 10-14 eggs per day for nearly 20 days before oviposition rate declined with age. Females live d an average of 32.8 d (range 3-58 d), and mean fecundity was 242.3 eg gs per female (range 0-392).