DYNAMICS OF FOOD SUPPLEMENTATION IN THE REPRODUCTIVE FITNESS OF Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)
Biological control, predator ladybug, mealybug.
Predators are considered the first line of defense for plants against phytophagous insects. In this group, those popularly known as ladybugs (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) stand out, most of which are efficient predators. For this and other reasons, ladybugs are widely used in the biological control of various pests such as aphids (Aphididae), whiteflies (Aleyrodidae), scale insects (Ortheziidae, Margarodidae, Diaspididae, Coccidae, Pseudococcidae) and psyllids (Psyllidae), eggs of lepidoptera (Lepidoptera) and mites (Acari). Many species of ladybugs consume the same food in the larval and adult stages, but the food regularly consumed by adults is not always nutritionally adequate to ensure reproduction, egg maturation or larval development. Thus, the embryonic and post-embryonic development, as well as the longevity, fecundity and fertility of adults depend on the quantity and quality of food consumed by these predators. Factors such as the quantity and quality of food can affect the development, longevity and reproductive potential of insects. One of the ways to meet the nutritional requirements and improve the performance of these predators in creations developed in the laboratory can be the simultaneous offer of the prey combined with alternative foods, because foods rich in carbohydrates and proteins such as honey and pollen, respectively, can favor survival and reproductive performance of predatory ladybugs. In this way, studies on the creation, production, release and use of biological control agents are fundamental structuring steps in the generation of knowledge that produce science and technological innovations that allow the adoption and implementation of ecologically correct pest management programs that ensure levels sustainability and food security objectives in family farming production regimes or in agricultural systems with large-scale production. The fact that the predators Cryptolaemus montrouzieri are cited as occurring naturally in areas cultivated with forage cactus and other crops with a strong tradition in northeastern Brazil contributed to the study of the potential of these predators as a control agent for scale insects and aphids. to produce technical-scientific knowledge that can be used in pest management programs for both the state of Alagoas and the Northeast region. Thus, the objective of this dissertation is to evaluate how food supplementation contributes to the improvement in the reproductive performance of adults of C. montrouzieri, coccinellids with potential to be used as biological control agent.