Biology of Chrysoperla comanche (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae)—Should This Predator Be Considered for Insectary Production?

The immature development, larval food consumption, and adult fecundity of <i>Chrysoperla comanche</i> (Banks), as a predator of the leafhopper <i>Erasmoneura variabilis</i> (Beamer), were determined. The threshold temperatures of egg, first, second, and third instars, and pupal stages were 10.6, 12.9, 11.5, 10.3, and 11.0 °C, respectively, and their corresponding accumulated degree days (DDs) were 73.5, 38.5, 37.4, 44.3 and 140.4 DD. When placed in an outdoor cage, field-collected adults continued to deposit eggs during the winter months. The weight of 3 d-old cocoons was negatively related to temperature, indicating that cocoon weights decrease as temperatures near the lethal thresholds. Larvae consumed ~250 late instar <i>E. variabilis</i>. At 26.7 °C. Adults had an average pre-ovipositional period of 5.8 days and produced an average of 1108 eggs over their entire life of 53.6 days, with 77.3% (857 eggs) of eggs produced in the first 30 days of reproduction. The results are discussed with respect to the application and commercial production of <i>C. comanche</i> in biological control programs, as well as the feasibility of insectaries to produce specialty natural enemies.