Biological characteristics of Cantheconidea concinna Walker, a natural enemy to pests in tea garden

The biological characteristics, the predatory behavior and the controlling efficacy of Cantheconidea concinna Walker were studied, and its applied prospects were discussed. There are many generations a year in eastern Fujian, the climax of population dynamics occurs on July to August. The results showed that the nymph of Cantheconidea concinna Walker had a tendency to suck juice from tea shoot, the 3rd instar of Cantheconidea concinna Walker start to prey, the average daily catching number increased with the increase of the instar of predator, and reduced with the increase of the instar of prey. As the density of larvae of Ectropis obliqua Warren increased, the daily preying capacity of Cantheconidea concinna Walker increased, especially in 3rd instar. The mutual interference effect of the population density of the predator especially in 5th instar to its preying activity was significant. The controlling effect of the nymph of Cantheconidea concinna Walker on larvae of Ectropis obliqua Warren was 34.17% under the ratio of the natural enemy to prey by 4:40.