Interaction of reduviid predator, Rhynocoris marginatus (Fabricius) (hemiptera: Reduviidae) with its prey teak skeletonizer, Eutectona machaeralis Walker (lepidoptera: Pyralidae) as revealed through functional response

Harpactorine reduviid, Rhynocoris marginatus (Fabricius) exhibited type II Holling's curvilinear functional response to teak skeletonizer, Eutectona machaeralis Walker. The predator's attack rate increased with the increase in prey density. The maximum predation represented by ‘k’ values was observed as 4.16. But the highest and lowest attack ratios (y/x) (0.69 and 0.52) were obtained at 1 and 8 prey /predator density. Positive correlations were obtained between the prey density and prey killed, but negative correlations were obtained between the prey density and searching time of the predator. At high prey density, predator spent less time in searching, therefore it spent more time in handling, whereas at low prey density predator spent more time in searching than handling. however, handling time varied due to factors such as rate of pursuit of predator and prey escape or prey capture success.