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Background: The ladybird beetle Stethorus gilvifrons (Mulsant) is an important natural enemy of tetranychid mites and functions as a biological control of these plant pests. The development, survival and reproduction of S. gilvifrons were studied when fed on three artificial diets. The components of the artificial diet that S. gilvifrons could be reared successfully on for one generation with no use of tetranychid mites were examined. Methods: Artificial diets consisted of sucrose, honey, royal jelly, agar, yeast, date palm pollen supplemented in different diets with hen’s egg yolk (AD1, as basic diet), Ephestia kuehniella Zeller eggs (AD2), or E. kuehniella eggs and 2,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (AD3). Results: Adults and larvae of Stethorusgilvifrons fed on AD1 had a shorter immature development and preoviposition periods than those fed on AD2 and AD3. The total number of deposited eggs was significantly higher for the females fed on AD3 than on the other diets. The intrinsic rate of increase (r) of S. gilvifrons was highest on AD3, followed by AD2, and AD1. Conclusion: Stethorus gilvifrons performed best on AD3, indicating the potential of this artificial diet for the mass rearing of this important predatory ladybird beetle.

The parasitoid wasp, Eretmocerus delhiensis (Hymenoptera, Aphelinidae) is a thelytokous and syn-ovigenic parasitoid. To evaluate E. delhiensis as a biocontrol agent in greenhouse, the killing efficiency of this parasitoid by parasitism and host-feeding, were studied. Killing efficiency can be compared by estimation of functional response parameters. Laboratory experiments were performed in controllable conditions to evaluate the functional response of E. delhiensis at eight densities (2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 100, and 120 third nymphal stage) of Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Hemiptera, Aleyrodidae) on two hosts including; tomato and prickly lettuce. The maximum likelihood estimates from regression logistic analysis revealed type II functional response for two host plants and the type of functional response was not affected by host plant. Roger’s model was used to fit the data. The attack rate (a) for E. delhiensis was 0.0286 and 0.0144 per hour on tomato and 0.0434 and 0.0170 per hour on prickly lettuce for parasitism and host feeding, respectively. Furthermore, estimated handling times (Th) were 0.4911 and 1.4453 h on tomato and 0.5713 and 1.5001 h on prickly lettuce for parasitism and host feeding, respectively. Based on 95% confidence interval, functional response parameters were significantly different between the host plants solely in parasitism. Results of this study opens new insight in the host parasitoid interactions, subsequently needs further investigation before utilizing it for management and reduction of greenhouse whitefly.

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Stethorus gilvifrons is an acarophagous coccinellid distributed in the Mediterranean region and could potentially be mass-reared for the augmentative biological control of Tetranychus turkestani and related species on crop plants. The hypothesis that brine shrimp Artemia franciscana cysts can improve diets for rearing of S. gilvifrons was tested in laboratory experiments. The diet treatments included A. franciscana cysts (D1), A. franciscana cysts plus a vitamin B complex (D2), A. franciscana cysts plus date palm pollen (D3), and A. franciscana cysts plus date palm pollen and Ephestia kuehniella eggs (D4). The results indicated that D1 did not support immature development. D2 supported egg–larval development but not pupal–adult development. Both D3 and D4 supported development to the adult stage and reproduction. However, D4 was the most effective diet, determined by observations of S. gilvifrons oviposition behavior and fecundity. A life table analysis corroborated these results; an intrinsic rate of increase, net and gross reproductive rates, and mean generation time were best for S. gilvifrons fed D4 rather than D3. A mixed diet composed of A. franciscana cysts, date palm pollen, and E. kuehniella eggs can be used to mass rear S. gilvifrons.