assessed. The best initial density was 600 and 1000 C. carnea eggs per rearing unit
using the eggs and freezed adults of S. cerealella as food sources, respectively. A
cylindrical PVC container (25 cm height and 20 cm diameter; Fig. 5.3b) was a
convenient oviposition-feeding unit for C. carnea adults where they had access to
water and a diet consisting of brewer’s yeast, honey, and sugar. Water was supplied
through a saturated sponge placed on top of the container. The eggs were removed
using nylon netting loosely rolled into a ball and rubbed across the substrate on
which the eggs were attached. The adult stage is much less expensive to produce, as
it can be maintained on a mixture of honey, sugar, and brewer’s yeast (1: 1: 1 by
weight) (Jooyandeh 1999). Jooyandeh (1995) found that C. carnea females fed on
yeast and sugar paste 1:1 laid on average a total of 554.6 eggs in 30 days while
oviposition was high until 20 days, after which egg-laying gradually declined. In this
reserach, the green lacewings were reared at 25 Æ 2
C, 60 Æ 10% RH, and a
photoperiod of 16: 8 (L: D) h. With some changes in the method of Vogt et al. (2000),
the adult stage of C. carnea was reared on an artificial diet consisting of brewer’s
yeast, honey, and distilled water in a 4: 7: 5 ratio smeared as a paste on transparent
plastic tape inserted in the cylindrical plastic containers (15.5 cm diameter; 25 cm
height) (Hassanpour, 2011). He also reared C. carnea larvae in containers (17.5 cm
diameter; 7.5 cm height with screen-covered ventilation holes in the lid), which held
several layers of paper towel to reduce cannibalism among the larvae.
5.7 Life History of Green Lacewings
The lacewing species hibernate as pupal stage in protected areas of the soil cracks,
under tree barks, and also in trash. In warm climates, the adults can be found
throughout the year. They emerge in early spring and the females lay eggs on plants
infected by their prey, which are commonly different species of aphids. A female
may lay about 30 eggs a day and several hundred eggs during her total lifetime.
They have five or six overlapping generations in each season (Uddin et al. 2005;
Nasreen et al. 2007; Asadi 2010).
5.8 Research on Green Lacewings in Iran
Several studies on lacewings have been conducted, most of which have examined
the ecological aspects of green lacewings such as demography and prey suitability,
functional response, tritrophic interactions, intraguild predation, and the effects of
different insecticides on life history parameters.
Fekrat et al. (2006) studied the effects of different densities of the first instar
larvae of C. carnea feeding on the eggs of S. cerealella or E. kuehniella. Their results
indicated that the searching efficiency of the first instar larvae of the predator
decreased with increasing larval densities.
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M. Hassanpour et al.
using the eggs and freezed adults of S. cerealella as food sources, respectively. A
cylindrical PVC container (25 cm height and 20 cm diameter; Fig. 5.3b) was a
convenient oviposition-feeding unit for C. carnea adults where they had access to
water and a diet consisting of brewer’s yeast, honey, and sugar. Water was supplied
through a saturated sponge placed on top of the container. The eggs were removed
using nylon netting loosely rolled into a ball and rubbed across the substrate on
which the eggs were attached. The adult stage is much less expensive to produce, as
it can be maintained on a mixture of honey, sugar, and brewer’s yeast (1: 1: 1 by
weight) (Jooyandeh 1999). Jooyandeh (1995) found that C. carnea females fed on
yeast and sugar paste 1:1 laid on average a total of 554.6 eggs in 30 days while
oviposition was high until 20 days, after which egg-laying gradually declined. In this
reserach, the green lacewings were reared at 25 Æ 2
C, 60 Æ 10% RH, and a
photoperiod of 16: 8 (L: D) h. With some changes in the method of Vogt et al. (2000),
the adult stage of C. carnea was reared on an artificial diet consisting of brewer’s
yeast, honey, and distilled water in a 4: 7: 5 ratio smeared as a paste on transparent
plastic tape inserted in the cylindrical plastic containers (15.5 cm diameter; 25 cm
height) (Hassanpour, 2011). He also reared C. carnea larvae in containers (17.5 cm
diameter; 7.5 cm height with screen-covered ventilation holes in the lid), which held
several layers of paper towel to reduce cannibalism among the larvae.
5.7 Life History of Green Lacewings
The lacewing species hibernate as pupal stage in protected areas of the soil cracks,
under tree barks, and also in trash. In warm climates, the adults can be found
throughout the year. They emerge in early spring and the females lay eggs on plants
infected by their prey, which are commonly different species of aphids. A female
may lay about 30 eggs a day and several hundred eggs during her total lifetime.
They have five or six overlapping generations in each season (Uddin et al. 2005;
Nasreen et al. 2007; Asadi 2010).
5.8 Research on Green Lacewings in Iran
Several studies on lacewings have been conducted, most of which have examined
the ecological aspects of green lacewings such as demography and prey suitability,
functional response, tritrophic interactions, intraguild predation, and the effects of
different insecticides on life history parameters.
Fekrat et al. (2006) studied the effects of different densities of the first instar
larvae of C. carnea feeding on the eggs of S. cerealella or E. kuehniella. Their results
indicated that the searching efficiency of the first instar larvae of the predator
decreased with increasing larval densities.
184
M. Hassanpour et al.