Abstract:

The purpose is to clarify the effects of artificial feeds on the biological characteristics of adult Coccinella septempunctata, and to provide reference for the improvement of artificial feeds. Four groups of artificial feeds (artificial feeds A, B, C, and D) and one group of control were used to feed the adults of C. septempunctata, and its lifespan, feeding, mating and spawning ability were studied. The differences between the 4 groups of artificial feeds were mainly due to the different sources of insect protein. Artificial feed A was yellow mealworm pupae, artificial feed B was bee pupae, artificial feed C was silkworm pupae, and artificial feed D was also bee pupae. Only artificial feed D was dry powder feed, the other three groups were paste feed, and the control group was fed with Aphis craccivora. Compared with the control group, the survival rate of the four artificial feed groups after sixty days was higher than that of the control group, and the artificial feed D group had the highest survival rate. Artificial feed A and artificial feed D had spawning, but were significantly lower than the control group; the hatching rate of adult worms fed with artificial feed A was higher than that of the control group. With the extension of the feeding time, the feeding frequency and mating frequency of the four artificial feed groups of C. septempunctata basically increased first and then decreased, and the mating frequency of the four artificial feed groups was slightly lower than that of the control group. The artificial feed D had the best effect on the adults of C. septempunctata.

Key words: artificial feed, Coccinella septempunctata, frequency of feeding, frequency of mating, hatching rate