* Directorate of Rice Research, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad-500030.
Division of Entomology and Nematology, Indian Institute of Horticultural Reserch, Bangalore-560089.
The influence of six selective pesticides on the adult longevity, progeny production and prey consumption of the Australian ladybird beetle Crytolaemus montrouzieri Muls., an excellent predator of several mealybug species, was studied. The adult longevity ofboth the sexes of the predator was not adversely affected by the pesticidal treatments. The longevity varied from 32 to 46 days in males from 121 to 13 8 days in females exposed to different treatments. No detrimental effect was observed on the progeny production of C. montrouzieri treated with dichlorvos (0.10%) chlorpyrifos (0.05%) neem seed kernel extract (5%), dicofol (0.05%) and copper oxychloride(0.2%). But diflubenzuron (200 ppm)had pronounced effect on the adult females yielding only 278progenies compared to 419 by the untreated females. Amaximum number of 142 mealybugs [Planococcus citri (Risso)] was consumed by chlorpyrifos treated larvae of C. montrouzieri. However, the prey consumption by the larvae treated with other pesticides did not vary much from the untreated batch. It is suggested that these selective pesticides except diflubenzuron could be considered in the integrated pest management programmes.
