Effects of the susceptibility of rice varieties to Sogatella furcifera on nymphal development and reproduction of Microvelia horvathi through a food chain

The effects of four rice varieties highly susceptible (‘Xiang‐Zao‐Xian31’ and ‘Jia‐Yu164’), moderately susceptible (‘Wei‐You402’), and resistant (‘Zhu‐Liang‐You02’) to the whitebacked planthopper Sogatella furcifera on the nymphal development, reproduction and survival of Microvelia horoathi were investigated through a food chain using Sogatella furcifera as herbivore prey. Significant longer nymphal developmental time were observed in the 1st, 4th, 5th instar and whole nymphal stage of M. horvathi raised on S. furcifera fed ‘ZLY02’ and ‘WY402’ than those of the other two varieties. M. horvathi raised on S. furcifera fed resistant ‘ZLY02’ showed a significant lower survival of whole nymphal stage than those fed other three susceptible varieties. Moreover, M. horvathi raised on S. furcifera fed resistant ‘ZLY02’ had shorter female longevity and lower lifetime fecundity than those of on susceptible ‘XZX31’. Our results suggest that the S. furcifera‐resistant rice variety ‘ZLY02’ had a negative effect on the growth and development of the predator M. horvathi through a food chain.