A study of some important biological parameters of Coccinella septempunctata L (Coleoptera : Coccinellidae) and its predation efficiency against Aphis fabae(Homoptera :Aphididae)

This study was conducted on predator Coccinella septempunctata at laboratory conditions , under average of temperature 20± 2Cº. Results confirmed: Average of life cycle time was :27.3±4.1 days ( egg development time 6.5±0.5 , larvae 13.2±0.5 , pupa 7.5±0.5 days).Also the study of predation efficiency showed that the average number of aphids consumed by each of the four instars larvae were (57.9±10.6 , 63.7±9.4 , 66.5±8.3 , and 348±43.4) respectively. Therefore the fourth larva instar seemed more predation efficiency, as compared to other three instars ,it consumed double that the three instars consumed, but adult consumed 121±4.5 number of aphids in one day.