Study of inheritance of feeding potential in natural populations of predatory coccinellid Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant using isofemale strains.

The ability to feed on the prey is of great concern for the predatory insects, especially with regard to predatory coccinellid, Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant, which is mass reared and released into the field in large numbers to control the target pests. The variability associated with feeding potential is partly influenced by the genetic background of the insects and partly due to the environment, but the genetic basis of this trait is not yet fully understood in C. montrouzieri. The aim of this study was to identify the genetic basis of variation and heritability of this quantitative trait in natural populations of C. montrouzieri through isofemale heritability and parent-offspring regression. The regression analyses indicated that there was a significant linear relationship between progeny and their mothers for feeding potential.