BIONOMICS OF MANTISPA VIRIDIS WALKER (NEUROPTERA: MANTISPIDAE) (SPIDERS, REARING, DISTRIBUTION)

Field and laboratory studies were conducted from 1982 through 1986 in the Clemson area of South Carolina to investigate the biology of Mantispa viridis Walker (Neuroptera: Mantispidae). These studies documented the developmental biology of this species from egg to adult, female egg production, adult mating behavior and survival, spider host associations, adult and immature seasonal cycles, and overwintering stages. In addition, laboratory procedures and techniques were developed to rear and maintain colonies of this and two other mantispid species, M. pulchella (Banks) and M. interrupta Say.;Development from egg to adult averaged 33.2 d under laboratory conditions of 25(DEGREES)C, 80% RH, and 16L:8D photoperiod. Both fresh and freezer-stored eggs of 27 spider species distributed in 14 families proved nutritionally adequate to rear M. viridis from the first instar to adult.;Mated, laboratory-reared females (n = 3) produced an average of 59.3 (+OR-) 3.8 egg clutches during their lifetime, with 23 (+OR-) 3.2 of these containing fertile eggs. Egg production of mated females decreased when fertile eggs were no longer produced, but this lower fecundity level remained higher than that of unmated females. Male M. viridis possess two pairs of eversible glands located in the third and fourth abdominal segments. These are everted during the precopulatory mating sequence and appear to be related to pheromone production. Adults (n = 28) reared from spider egg sacs and maintained under laboratory conditions lived for an average of 156 (+OR-) 8.1 d.;Field-collected immatures of M. viridis were associated with 21 spider genera representing 13 families. The majority of the species host records (n = 23) were from the spider superfamilies Araneoidea and Clubionoidea. Immatures of M. viridis were associated with egg sacs of nine spider species on more than one occasion. Two of these, Metepeira labyrinthea (Hentz) and Agelenopsis sp. accounted for 63% of the total (n = 125) M. viridis associations.;Field studies from 1982 through 1986 showed that all immature stages of M. viridis can overwinter, but that adults die during the first prolonged period of subfreezing temperatures. Immatures overwinter within the egg sac of their spider host and develop to the adult during the spring months. These individuals produced the first M. viridis generation for the year, which is followed by at least two others each season.