Studies on the Biology and Fecundity of the Wolf Spider Lycosa pseudoannulata Boes et.Str., a Potential Predator of Rice Hoppers

The wolf spider Lycosa pseudoannulata Boes et.Str. one of the most prolific predators of rice hoppers in the field, was mass reared in the laboratory for three consecutive generations to enable investigation on its suitability as at biocontrol agent and also to find the effects of subculturing on the fecundity of the spider. Rearing the spider upto the third instar on nymphs of Nilaparvata lugens Stal and then with the grubs of Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) was the best for the spiders, taking minimum time to reach adult-hood with high fecundity and high percentage of individuals reaching the adult stage compared to the other preys used. Aphis craccivora Koch was found to be a poor prey for the multiplication of L. pseudoannulata.