Effect of Photoperiod on the Life History of the Predatory Bug, Macrolophus Caliginosus Wagner [Hemiptera:Miridae]

Laboratory experiments were carried out to study the effect of photoperiod on the life history of the predator Macrolophus caliginosus Wagner [Hemiptera: Miridae] fed on eggs of the greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood) [Homoptera: Aleyorodidae]. Day-length had no significant effect on either nymphal mortality, development time or adult longevity of M. caliginous. The absence of light had no negative effect on the consumption rate of M. caliginous. However, the number of T. vaporariorum eggs consumed by the predator increased with decreasing photoperiod. Light was of significance for the development of the predator embryos during incubation period as no hatching occurred under continuous darkness, but hatching was reduced at 8L:16D in comparison to hatching at 16L:8D.