The biology of Orius insidiosus (Say) fed on thrips Caliothrips phaseoli (Hood) was studied in a climatic chamber at 25±1°C, 70±10% RH and 12h photophase. Nymphal developmental time (10.2 days) was the same for males and females. The durations of the nymphal instars were 1.9, 1.7, 1.4, 1.8 and 3.1 days for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th instars respectively. Nymphal survival was 69%, and the highest mortality occurred at the 2nd instar. O. insidiosus consumed 73.7 C. phaseoli throughout its nymphal stage. The amount of prey fed upon by O. insidiosus nymphs increased during the successive instars: 6.1, 9.0, 11.4, 16.7 and 29.3 thrips from the 1st to the 5th instar respectively. Females laid 77.8 eggs. Egg development in O. insidiosus took 5.3 days and only 71.6% of the eggs hatched. Female longevity was significantly higher (21 days) than that of males (12.4 days); consequently, females ate more thrips (159.1) than the males (60.7). The search time of O. insidiosus was the same for all instars. Thus, adults of C. phaseoli were proved suitable to the development and reproduction of the predator O. insidiosus.
Insecta; thrips; biological control; prey consumption; predator
