Abstracts are listed in alphabetical order by the last name of the senior author.

¹Proyecto Curricular de Ingenieria Forestal Universidad Distrital Francisco Jose de Caldas. Graduate Student. Entomology Department University of Missouri. ²Forest engineer, Universidad Distrital Francisco Jose de Caldas. oppvv2@mizzou.edu

Aconophora elongatiformis is a sap-sucking insect that causes damage in tender branches of Tecoma stans L. (H.B.K.), a valuable ornamental tree of Bogotá. Observations of frequency and abundance of natural enemies of A. elongatiformis in attacked trees in Bogotá revealed that Mulsantina mexicana contributed to the natural regulation of this pest. Since there was no information related to this species of Coccinellidae in the country, preliminary work was necessary to confirm its identification, biology and predation behavior. Both prey and predator were maintained under semi-controlled laboratory conditions. The number of nymphs of A. elongatiformis consumed per day, as well as the development time of larval instars and longevity of adult stage of M. mexicana were determined. Under laboratory conditions, all four larval instars and the adult stage of M. mexicana fed on all the nymphal stages of A. elongatiformis. The number and size of the prey consumed differed according to the size of the predator. Larval development and adult longevity of M. mexicana fed with A. elongatiformis averaged 90 days. In the field A. elongatiformis is not the only prey consumed by M. mexicana, however the duration of the development time and number of prey that it is able to consume justify the recommendation for development of practices conductive to the conservation of M. mexicana populations in T. stans trees.