Title: Oviposition strategy of the green lacewing Chrysoperla rufilabris (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) in response to extraguild prey availability
Abstract:The capacity of the green lacewing Chrysoperla rufilabris (Burmeister) to modify its oviposition strategy in response to extraguild prey availability in an oviposition site was studied.Gravid females ...The capacity of the green lacewing Chrysoperla rufilabris (Burmeister) to modify its oviposition strategy in response to extraguild prey availability in an oviposition site was studied.Gravid females were placed in presence and absence of aphids.Fecun dity, fertility, dispersion and hatching synchrony were compared.Results indicate a statistical difference in the hatching synchrony of eggs.However, no statistical differences were observed in the proportion of infertile eggs and in egg dispersion.We suggest that C. rufilabris can alter hatching synchrony of eggs in condition of food scarcity in order to favour intra-clutch egg cannibalism by newly hatched larvae and thus increase its overall reproductive success.Read More