ABSTRACT
This work was carried out to evaluate the effect of different larval diets on the reproductive potential of Chrysoperla raimundoi. Larvae collected from insects of the third offspring rearing in the laboratory were fed with Sitotroga cerealella and Diatraea saccharalis eggs. After emergence, the adults were separated in couples and were kept in cages where they received food based on beer yeast and honey. Evaluatons were made of the period of pre-oviposition, the daily and total oviposition and also the viability of the eggs produced by these insects. With these parameters, there was elaborated an index which considers the total oviposition (TO), the mean eggs viability (MEV) and the oviposition period (OP) for estimating the reproductive potential. The two diets studied did not promote differences on the parameters evaluated. The larval food consisting of S. cerealella and D. saccharalis eggs did not affect the reproductive potential of C. raimundoi.
KEY WORDS:
Lacewings; Chrysoperla raimundoi; reproductive potential; Sitotroga cerealella; Diatraea saccharalis.