Life-history variation in Chrysoperla carnea: Implications for rearing and storing a Mexican population

Abstract

A population of Chrysoperla carnea from San Pedro, Coahuila, Mexico, showed phenological responses that differ from those of previously studied North American biotypes. Short daylengths that induce diapause in other biotypes resulted in low incidences of diapause in the San Pedro population. Diapause induction required a decrease in daylength (from long to short days). Constant long days produced variable reproductive responses, whereas an increase in daylength (from short to long day) resulted in high incidences of reproduction. Providing prey to adults that had been reared under short days consistently increased the incidences of reproduction. Storage of either diapausing or nondiapausing adults at low temperature (5°C) for 13 weeks yielded better survivorship and reproductive performance than in unstored (24°C) controls. For efficient production, the San Pedro population of C. carnea may be reared either with an increase in daylength or with the regular intervention of a storage period. To induce diapause in individuals destined for storage, larvae may be reared under long-day photoperiod and the prepupae transferred to short days.