Biology and feeding potential of Coccinella septempunctata (Linn.) were studied in laboratory on 3rd instar nymphs of mustard aphid (Lipaphis erysimi Kalt.) at two different temperature regimes. At 30± 20C, fecundity, oviposition period, hatchability of eggs, male and female longevity (232±70.46, 12.8±3.91, 82.87±6.66, 22.70 ± 2.21and 26.60 ± 4.45, respectively) were higher and incubation period, pre-oviposition period, total grub duration and pupal duration (2.6±0.51, 6.5±3.53, 8.7 ± 1.63 and 5.1 ± 1.10, respectively) were lesser in comparison to 25± 20C where fecundity, oviposition period, hatchability of eggs, male and female longevity, incubation period, preoviposition period, total grub duration and pupal duration were 169.8±61.12, 7.9±1.37, 71.68±4.08, 16.2 ± 1.31 and 21.50 ± 1.95, 2.9±0.73, 7.7±2.49, 11.1 ± 1.52 and 5.8 ± 0.918, respectively . At 27± 2 0C, total mustard aphid consumption by a grub of C. septempunctata during the whole life span, was 424.4±2.78 mustard aphids in comparison to 272.64±1.79 mustard aphid at 23± 20C. Similarly an adult male and female consumed 103.2±1.52 and 116.6 ±1.46 aphids per day respectively at 27± 2 0C in comparison to 65.6 ± 1.02 and 71.8 ± 1.60 at 23± 20C. Thus, at both temperatures aphid consumption increased gradually till 4th instar and 30±20C was found to be most suitable temperature as compared to 25±20C for the life history of C. septempunctata. Hence, it could be concluded that C. septempunctata might play a suitable role in biointensive Integrated Pest Management programme because of better longevity and high predatory potential against the mustard aphid.
