Effect of the entomopathogenic fungus, Lecanicillium lecanii, on the biology and predation rate of the anthocorid predatory bug, Blaptostethus pallescens, feeding on the flower thrips, Frankliniella schultzei Trybom (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)

Egyptian Journal of Biological Pest Control

Table 3 Prey preference of different nymphal instars and adult of B. pallescens fed on Vl-8 treated and untreated thrips recorded after 24 h

Predatory stage	No. of untreated thrips consumed (mean ± SE)	No. of treated thrips consumed (mean ± SE)	Manley’s preference index*
Predatory stage	No. of untreated thrips consumed (mean ± SE)	No. of treated thrips consumed (mean ± SE)	β1 (mean ± SE)	t value	p value
II Instar	2.5 ± 0.29	0.75 ± 0.48	0.79 ± 0.12	6.383	0.08
III Instar	3.5 ± 0.29	1.25 ± 0.25	0.75 ± 0.05	15.243	0.01
IV Instar	5 ± 0.41	2.25 ± 0.63	0.72 ± 0.08	9.369	0.03
V instar	7.5 ± 0.29	2.5 ± 0.29	0.78 ± 0.03	26.167	0.001
Adult	8.5 ± 0.65	2.75 ± 0.48	0.79 ± 0.04	18.114	0.001

Value 1 is the prey preference for untreated thrips and 0 is for treated thrips
*One-sample t test comparing Manly’s index for untreated thrips setting a value 0.5 to test the null hypothesis that the predator preferred prey at random