This study aimed to evaluate the quality of the aphid Myzus persicae (Sulzer), Lipaphis erysimi (Kaltenbach) and Brevicoryne brassicae (L.) as hosts for the parasitoid Diaeretiella rapae (McIntosh). Parasitization by D. rapae was higher on M. persicae than on L. erysimi and B. brassicae. The time of development of D. rapae from egg to mummy or egg to adult male or female were shorter on M. persicae than on L. erysimi and B. brassicae. Moreover, D. rapae showed no significant differences in the emergence rate, sex ratio and longevity when reared on the three aphid species. Myzus persicae was the largest aphid host, with B. brassicae and L. erysimi being of intermediate and of small size, respectively. Diaeretiella rapae reared on M. persicae was larger than when reared on L. erysimi and B. brassicae, and females of D. rapae were significantly larger than males on M. persicae, but males of D. rapae were larger than females when reared on L. erysimi. No difference in size was detected between males and females in parasitoids reared on B. brassicae. Among the aphid species studied, M. persicae was found to be the most suitable to D. rapae.

The lady beetle Coleomegilla maculata (De Geer) is a natural enemy of several insect pests and feeds on pollen and nectar to survive periods when prey is scarce. The effect of the feeding interval on the development, survival, fecundity, and longevity of C. maculata was determined. Newly hatched larvae of C. maculata were reared individually and fed with eggs of the Mediterranean flour moth Anagasta kuehniella (Zeller) at intervals of one, two, and three days under controlled conditions (23 ± 1ºC; 60 ± 10% RH; 12 h phtophase). The duration of larval instars and the total larval stage was prolonged as the feeding interval increased. The larval period lasted on average 9.2 ± 0.19 days when the larvae were fed daily with prey, and 14.6 ± 0.48 days when food was offered at three-day intervals. There was an inverse relationship between food intervals, survival, and weight of larvae and adults of the coccinellid. Survival rate of larvae fed daily was 76.8%, while the rate was 50.0% and 23.4% for larvae fed every two and three days, respectively. Coleomegilla maculata showed fecundity of 781.1 ± 149.02, 563.4 ± 80.81 and 109.0 ± 103.0 eggs when fed daily and at intervals of two and three days, respectively.