The effect of Bt-cotton, i.e. genetically modified cotton that contain genes expressing delta-endotoxin, on aphid, whitefly, chrysopid and coccinellid populations was determined with a two-year field study at a cotton farm near Marble Hall, South Africa. Although Bt-cotton is lepidopteran specific, non-lepidopteran arthropod populations may be indirectly influenced by the endotoxin. Abundance o...

the rice fields consist of diverse fauna of arthropoda because of both subterranean and aquatic ecosystems. in this research, the fauna of predator beetles including carabidae, coccinellidae, staphylinidae, malachiidae, and their population fluctuation were studied in mazandaran province during 2002-2006. a number of 13 carabid species, one staphylinid species, six coccinellid species, and two ...

The first detections of Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, in North America occurred almost simultaneously in Florida and in the Caribbean (Guadeloupe). Damaging populations on citrus have been reported in Florida but not in Puerto Rico where the psyllid was first detected in 2001, having probably arrived with its parasitoid, Tamarixia radiata Waterston. In an effort to identify a...

The coccinellids Nephaspis oculatus (Blatchley) and Delphastus catalinae (LeConte) [formerly D. pusillus (LeConte)] are predators of whiteßies (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae), and have shown potential for biological control of Bemisia argentifolii Bellows & Perring in greenhouses. We observed the searching and feeding behavior of N. oculatus and D. catalinae on hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L.). D....

Temperature affects insect and mite development, allowing species-speciÞc traits including optimal temperature and low and high temperature thresholds to be observed. Development rate models and biological parameters estimated from them can help determining if synchrony exists between pests and natural enemies. We studied development of the coccinellid Stethorus punctillum Weise and the spider ...

Zoophytophagy is an omnivorous activity that occurs when a primarily carnivorous species feeds on plant material. Plant feeding by beneficial predators may have negative consequences if the plant material has been chemically treated, contains toxins, or was transgenically altered. Although common in predaceous Hemiptera, zoophytophagy has been rarely studied in aphidophagous coccinellids. This ...

the pink hibiscus mealybug maconellicoccus hirsutus (green) (hemiptera: pseudococcidae) is a serious economic pest in tropical and subtropical regions and causes damage to many agricultural, forestry and greenhouse crops. in order to identify the natural enemies of this pest, bi-weekly samplings were done in infested areas of ahvaz, located at southwest iran during 2011-2012. samples were also ...

in a faunistic survey of aphids and their aphidophagous predators in cereal fields of mashhad and vicinity, during 2006-2008, several coccinellid species were collected and determined. among them, coccinella magnopunctata rybakow is being reported for the first time from iran.