PREY CONSUMPTION BY THE PREDATOR DERAEOCORIS PALLENS REUTHER (HEMIPTERA, MIRIDAE) ON 6 COTTON PESTS

Deraeocoris pallens Reuther (Hemiptera: Miridae) is a polyphagous pred ator of economically important cotton pests in the east Mediterranean region of Turkey. To assess the response of increasing prey densities on the Miridae, its prey consumption was studied on six cotton pests i n the laboratory. Immature stages and adults of D. pallens responded w ith increasing food consumption to increasing prey densities, in which elder nymphal stages and adults showed a higher predation than the yo unger ones. Within 24 h, imagines of D. pallens consumed up to 214.6 2 nd instar nymphs of Aphis gossypii Glover and 242.5 eggs of Tetranychu s cinnabarinus Boisduval at a prey density of 256 individuals. The mir id preyed on 63.3 2nd instar nymphs of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) when 104 were provided. Out of 74, 200, and 100 offered first larval stage s of Helicoverpa armigera Hubner, Spodoptera littoralis Boisduval, and Spodoptera exigua (Hubner), respectively, 57.7, 116.7, and 97.6 were consumed by D. pallens adults.