Effect of host plant species of cotton whitefly Bemisia tabaci Middle East‐Asia Minor 1 (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) on the development, survival and reproduction of its predaceous ladybeetle Serangium japonicum (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

Abstract

The ladybeetle Serangium japonicum has great potential to control the invasive pest Bemisia tabaci Gennadius Middle East‐Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1) in China. However, whether and how the host plant species of B. tabaci MEAM1 affect S. japonicum remains largely unexplored. The present study investigated the influence of five host plant species of B. tabaci MEAM1, namely tobacco, cucumber, cotton, tomato and eggplant, on the pre‐imaginal development, survival of immature stages, adult weight, adult acquired rate and fecundity of S. japonicum under laboratory conditions. The results obtained indicate that the developmental time from first instar to adult eclosion in S. japonicum was shortest when fed on B. tabaci MEAM1 reared on cotton and longest on cucumber. The survival rate of immature stages and the adult acquired rate were highest for cotton and tomato and lowest for tobacco. The fresh weight of adults and the number of eggs laid by S. japonicum were highest for cucumber and lowest for tobacco. The egg hatch rate was lowest for tobacco and highest for tomato. These findings support suggest that host plant species should be factored into integrated pest management to maximize control efficiency when utilizing S. japonicum to control B. tabaci MEAM1.