A NOTE ON FECUNDITY OF THE APHID PREDATOR, APHIDOLETES APHIDIMYZA (RONDANI) (DIPTERA: CECIDOMYIIDAE)

Abstract

The aphidophagous midge, Aphidoletes aphidimyza (Rondani), is a promising biological control agent for aphids in agricultural crops, although its low fecundity has been cited as a disadvantage (Harris 1982; Chambers 1986). In previous studies, fecundity was reported as 70 eggs (Uygun 1971), 100 eggs (Harris 1973), and 6–38 eggs per female (Ushchekov 1975). Recently, Gilkeson and Hill (1986) reported a mean of 156.6 eggs per female from a laboratory line reared under optimum conditions (17-h day, 25°C, ample food supply). These differences in fecundity could be due to variation in genetic makeup, rearing conditions, or larval nutrition, which has been shown to influence adult fecundity (Kuo 1982; Havelka and Růžička 1984). While conducting a project on commercial application of A. aphidimyza, I have recently found that providing a source of drinking water in oviposition cages resulted in higher egg production than has been previously reported.