Journal of Insect Science (2003) 3 (33), p. 9 (Gibson et al.)

Cara M. Gibson and Martha S. Hunter (2003)
Confirming the role of yeast symbionts in green lacewings, Chrysoperla spp. (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae)
Journal of Insect Science 3 (33), 9-9
XIII International Entomophagous Insects Workshop - July 27-31, 2003, Tucson, Arizona, U.S.A.
Abstract: As larvae, lacewings in the genus Chrysoperla are voracious predators of aphids and other soft-bodied insects. Unlike many other lacewings, Chrysoperla spp. adults are non-predaceous and feed on pollen, nectar and aphid honeydew. Earlier studies observed that Chrysoperla spp. adults house symbiotic yeasts in their crops and indicated that the yeast may supplement amino acids missing in the largely carbohydrate diet (Hagen KS et al. 1970. Bolletino Laboratorio di Entomologia Agraria Filippo Silvestri 28:113-34; Hagen KS, RL Tassan. 1972. In J.G. Rodriguez (ed.) Insect and Mite Nutrition. North Holland, Amsterdam, The Netherlands). They suggested that lacewings eclose without their yeast symbionts and must obtain them from the environment. In our research, attempts to cure adult Chrysoperla spp. of yeast using Hagen et al.'s (1970) protocol, as well as several other fungicides and heat treatment, have been unsuccessful. Furthermore, preliminary data suggests that yeast may also be vertically transmitted. Our research indicates that the functional significance of yeast in green lacewings requires further study.
Database assignments for author(s): Martha S. Hunter

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
Chrysoperla (genus - predators)