Journal of Experimental Agriculture International

A study was conducted in the Biocontrol Laboratory, Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, OUAT, Bhubaneswar, Odisha during 2020-21 to record the influence of larval diets on pupal period and size of cocoon of Chrysoperla zastrowi sillemi (Esben-Peterson). Six larval diets i.e. T₁ (Purple aphid, Aphis craccivora Koch.), T₂ (Green aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer)), T₃ (Mustard aphid, Lipaphis erysimi (Kalt.)), T₄ (Papaya mealy bug, Paracoccus marginatus Williams and Granara de Willink), T₅ (Pink mealy bug, Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green)) and T₆ (Corcyra cephalonica Stainton 1^st instar larva) were tested along with one control (T₇= Corcyra cephalonica egg). T₁ was detected as the best larval diet which produced maximum pupal period of 8.90 days with 16.80% increased over control. Maximum cocoon diameter was also recorded in T1 i.e. 3.28 mm with 11.95% increased over control. T1 was closely followed by T3 with respect to pupal period (8.74 days with 14.70% increase over control) and diameter of cocoon (3.20 mm with 9.22% increase over control) of C. zastrowi sillemi.