Effect of prey resource on the fitness of the predator,Chrysoperla carnea (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae)

Host quality is one of the important factors affecting the life-history traits of predators. here,we examined the development and reproductive responses of the green lacewing,chrysoperla carnea (stephens) to all life stages [1st through 5th instar nymphs (n1-n5) and adult] of the cotton jassid,amrasca devastans (dist.) (homoptera: cicadellidae). c. carnea larvae consumed more n2 than any other a. devastans life stage. older life stages of the predator displayed higher rates of predation than younger ones. larvae completed development on each of a. devastans life stages. however,the developmental time from egg hatch to adult eclosion was shortest on n3 and longest on the adult. c. carnea survival to the adult stage was the highest on n3,and lowest on adult a. devastans. pupal weight (mg) and egg volume (mm3) was lowest on adult a. devastans. fecundity and egg hatching was highest when females had been reared on n3 a. devastans. the net replacement rate was lowest for the populations reared on n5 and adult a. devastans; these prey regimens also resulted in the lowest intrinsic (rm) and finite (?) rates of population increase. the mean relative growth rate showed significantly positive correlations with intrinsic (rm) and finite (?) rates of population increase,while a negative correlation was found with generation doubling time (dt). the results illustrate the potential importance of prey resources (life stage) on c. carnea population growth,and they indicate that c. carnea has considerable potential for the biological control of a. devastans. copyright © 2015 zoological society of pakistan.