Effect of botanical insecticides on the foraging and feeding behavior of the coccinellid predator Cryptolaemus montrouzieri

To investigate the effect of botanicals on the foraging behavior of the mea lybug predator Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant, predator larvae and adult s were exposed to leaves and the mealybug Planococcus citri (Risso) treated with one of the following. a crude neem seed extract; a formulation of aza dirachtin (Azatin EC(R)); a pyrethrum extract; and one of two naphthoquinon es isolated from Calceolaria andina Benth. (BTG 504 and BTG 505). All the b otanicals influenced the foraging behavior of C. montrouzieri, at one or mo re concentrations. Larval and adult foraging behavior was influenced most b y BTG 504 and neem also affected larval behavior; the predators contacted f ewer treated leaves and spent less time on treated than on untreated leaves . Larvae also consumed fewer mealybugs treated with BTG 504 and BTG 505 com pared with untreated mealybugs.