Functional response ofOenopia conglobata contaminata(Coleoptera:Coccinellidae) toAgonoscena pistaciae(Hemiptera: Psyllidae) at two different temperatures

Oenopia conglobata contaminata, is an important predator of the most important pistachio pest,Agonoscena pistaciae,in Iran. The functional response of the adult, third and fourth larval instars ofO. conglobata contaminatafed on the common pistachio psylla,A. pistaciae, was studied at 22 degrees and 25 degrees C (65 +/- 5%RH and 16 L: 8D). Different psylla densities of 10, 20, 40, 80, and 160 were used. The data were fitted a type II functional response in all the stages. There was a significant difference in the attack rate and handling time of the predator in all stages at 22 degrees C and 25 degrees C. The maximum attack rate (T/T-h) occurred at 25 degrees C.The lowest and highest attack rates were 0.046 and 0.154 for adult of the predator at 22 degrees C and 25 degrees C, respectively. The handling time decreased significantly as the temperature increased from 22 degrees C to 25 degrees C in all treatments. The results suggest that the efficiency of theOenopia conglobatato control the pistachio psylla is high at 25 degrees C. On the other hand, the predatory beetleO. conglobata contaminatareacted to increasing temperature by enhanced search rate and activity.