Deterioration in mass culture of Chrysoperla carnea*

A laboratory experiment was conducted to study the deterioration in mass culture of Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens). The predator was reared up to 24th generation in mass and in each generation parameters like percent hatching, fecundity and per cent pupation were recorded. There was slow decline in characters especially per cent hatchability and fecundity of mass reared C. carnea from 1st generation to 24^th generation i.e. 90.67 ± 2.31, 76.00 ± 4.00, and 363.33 × 19.53, 235 ± 23.58, respectively. An attempt was made to study the possible effect of physiological deterioration. However, there was no marked improvement in characters studied when larvae were fed on Aphis gossypaii Glover, Helicoverpa armigera (Hub.) eggs and in combination of both of these, after 24^th generation of rearing on Corcyra eggs.