Biology, behaviour and functional response of Cydnocoris gilvus Brum. (Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Harpactorinae) a predator of Tea Mosquito Bug (Helopeltis antonii Sign.) on cashew in India

Abstract

Helopeltis spp. (Hemiptera: Miridae) are major sucking pests of cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) in India. Cydnocoris gilvus Brum. (Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Harpactorinae) is recorded as a potential predator of Helopeltis spp. Biology, mating behaviour and functional response of C. gilvus were studied by rearing in the laboratory (temperature 26–28 0 C; relative humidity 89–94 %) with wax moth, Galleria mellonella, larvae. Based on laboratory rearing, the fecundity was 56.33 eggs in 8.67 batches per female. The average stadial period was 37.3 days, with a maximum of 11 days for V instar and a minimum of 4.5 days for III instars. C. gilvus took 45.5 days to complete a generation. The innate capacity of natural increase was 0.07 with a gross reproduction of 67.8 females per female. The adult exhibited a pin and jab mode of predation in a sequence of actions. The sequential action of mating comprised arousal (1.32 min), approach (12.30 min), riding over (140.48 min) and copulation (85.40 min). The predator responded to increasing prey density by killing more prey than at lower prey densities