Sajjad Ahmad

Effect of Temperature on Immature Stages of Small Black Ladybird Beetle Stethorus punctum, Leconte (Coleoptera: Coccinillidae) and Percent Mortality

Effect of temperature on immature stages of the predatory ladybird beetle Stethorus punctum were studied at Agricultural University Peshawar, Pakistan during 2010. Immature stages development of Stethorus punctum was studied under laboratory conditions at constant temperatures of 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 °C. Result revealed that no development occurred at 10 and 40 °C. The total development times at different temperatures were 57.87, 32.12, 19.73, 14.24 and 10.70 days, respectively. A negative correlation was observed between development time and increasing temperature. The mortality rates of different stages were observed on different temperatures. The percent mortality was 73.31, 69.97, 23.32, 26.64 and 89.98 on 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 °C, respectively. Among all temperature only two temperatures (25 and 30 °C) were suitable for the successful rearing of Stethorus punctum under laboratory condition for mass rearing.