Chrysoperla externa (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) as a Potential Biological Control Agent of Raoiella indica (Acari: Tenuipalpidae)

ABSTRACT The red palm mite, Raoiella indica Hirst (Acari: Tenuipalpidae), is a globally relevant pest that causes substantial damage to coconut ( Cocos nucifera L.), banana ( Musa spp.), and several ornamental plants. Although predatory mites of the family Phytoseiidae are commonly associated with the biological control of R. indica in coconut plantations, the potential role of generalist predators such as lacewings remains poorly understood. Here, we assessed the predatory capacity of the lacewing Chrysoperla externa (Hagen) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) to R. indica on coconut leaves. Specifically, we assessed the consumption rates of increasing densities of R. indica adult females by the three larval phases (i.e., instars I, II, and III) of C. externa over a 12 h period. Our results demonstrated that the first and third instars of C. externa exhibited a type II functional response to adults of R. indica , suggesting a high predation efficiency at low prey densities. In contrast, second‐instar C. externa exhibited low predation rates at low prey densities and a pronounced increase in predation at intermediate prey densities, reflecting improvements in searching and handling efficiency as prey become more abundant. The cumulative prey consumption throughout each larval instar was 578.6 females of R. indica during the first instar, 1567.0 during the second instar, and 6212.0 during the third instar of C. externa . Across the entire larval development, this corresponds to a total of 8632.0 mites consumed per individual. Altogether, these findings highlight the potential of C. externa as a viable biological control agent for R. indica in coconut plantations.