Feeding Behaviour of Reduviid Predators Against Artificial Diet

Abstract

Rhynocoris marginatus has been reported as a potential predator on various economically important agricultural pests. The predator can be used as potential biocontrol agent. Rearing and mass multiplication of the reduviids in the laboratory are an important requirement for the successful biological control program. A required number of bioagents can be obtained by rearing them either on their natural host. However, rearing of this predator on natural host is entirely impracticable owing to nonavailability of host throughout the year. Preparation of oligidic diet is only an option for mass multiplication. With trial and error, several diets were prepared and tested for the feeding preference on oligidic diet using different objects like cotton, capsules, cavity slides, and foam for providing oligidic diet for different nymphal and adult stages of Rhynocoris marginatus to find suitable which among them is suitable. The results revealed that cotton has been more preferred by Rhynocoris marginatus; hence, cotton is chosen as a source material for providing oligidic diet. Feeding preference aspects like diet preference, searching behavior, sucking time, and weight gain have been considered in the laboratory using oligidic diet before continuous rearing of reduviid predators to ensure the potential of prepared oligidic diet.