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Abstract

The feeding and reproductive potential of predators are greatly influenced by plants due to direct effect on prey quality. Aphis craccivora Koch (Hemiptera: Aphididae) is a sap sucking insect and one of the major pests on economically important crops in India. The lady beetle Cheilomenes sexmaculata is a very common predator of A. craccivora. Hence, the influence of four host plants belong to family Fabaceae viz., Phaseolus sinensis, Lablab purpureus, Vigna radiata and Vigna mungo on the reproductive aspects of C. sexmaculata on A. craccivora was investigated. The effect of these host plants was observed significant. The maximum period of preoviposition (4.66±0.33 days), oviposition (33.33±0.42 days) and post-oviposition (5.66±0.21 days) were observed on P. sinensis but its minimum period of pre-oviposition (3.66±0.21 days), oviposition (28.33±0.71 days) and post-oviposition (4.33±0.33 days) were recorded on V. mungo. Similarly, the maximum fecundity was observed on P. sinensis (510.8±0.16 eggs) followed by L. purpureus (485.0±3.77 eggs), V. radiata (411.9±5.03 eggs) and V. mungo (382.7±4.92 eggs). The high viability of eggs was also observed on P. sinensis (85.40%) and L. purpureus (81.13%). Thus, it is concluded that P. sinensis is more suitable host plant when preyed on A. craccivora and it can be used for mass rearing programme of C. sexmaculata due to its high reproductive capacity.