Comm. Appl. Biol. Sci, Ghent University, 75/3, 2010 373 COMPATIBILITY OF A MELIA AZEDARACH EXTRACT WITH ERIOPIS CONNEXA (COLEOPTERA: COCCINELLIDAE) M. HARAMBOURE 1 , L. MIRANDE 1 , G. SMAGGHE 2 , S. PIÑEDA 3 and M.I. SCHNEIDER 1 1 CEPAVE (CCT-La Plata CONICET, UNLP), La Plata-Bs. As., Argentina. 2 Department of Crop Protection, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering Ghent University, Gent, Belgium 3 Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias y Forestales Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo Km. 9.5 Carr. Morelia-Zinapécuaro. 58880 Tarímbaro, Michoacán, Mexico SUMMARY The integrated pest management (IPM) premises claim for a joint use of beneficial organisms (parasitoids and predators) and selective pesticides. Botanical pesticides are being considered as selective pesticides. During the last 20 years of the 20th century, the plant family Meliace- ae was identified as a promising source of compounds with insect-control properties. The Chinaberry tree, Melia azedarach L., is a deciduous tree native to Persia, India, and China, but has been cultivated in many countries including Africa, Australia, and the Americas. It is a source of tetranortriterpenoid compounds called meliatoxins, which have similar structures and insecticidal activities compared to azadirachtin. Eriopis connexa Germar (Coleoptera: Coccinelidae) is a native predator from the Neotropical Region. It is a beneficial organism associated to several agro-ecosystems, feeding on soft- bodies pest such as aphids, whiteflies and thrips. In horticultural crops, it has been observed to feed on worldwide important pest such as Bemisia tabaci Gennadius (Heteroptera: Aleyrodeidae) and Myzus persicae L. (Heteroptera: Aphididae), both of them considered as virus vectors. The objectives of this work were to evaluate the side-effects of M. azaderach (Meliaceas) extract on eggs, larvae and adults of Eriopis connexa. Extracts from unripe fruits (1%, w/w, obtained by the CEPROCOR, Cordoba-Argentina) were employed for ecotoxicological bioas- says. The exposure method was by immersion for eggs and by ingestion of drinking water for adults. The botanical extract solutions were prepared using distilled water as solvent and a tensioactive (Tween 20 ® ) for topical application. The bioassays were carried out in the labor- atory under controlled conditions: 23±0.5 °C temperature, 75±5% RH and 16:8 (L:D) photoper- iod. Hatching, development time, adult emergence, pre-oviposition period, fecundity and fertility were evaluated as endpoints. No detrimental effects were observed in treated organisms irrespective of the exposure way and development stage. According to these preliminary results, M. azaderach fruit extracts can be compatible with E. connexa for pest control. However, future studies should be ad- dressed to conclude about its toxicity on beneficial organisms. INTRODUCTION The worldwide tendencies in pest control are advocated to found selective materi- als for chemical pest control that result compatible with natural enemies also. The integrated pest management (IPM) paradigm is one of these worldwide tendencies. In Argentina, neurotoxic conventional pesticides have been used as unique chemi- cals for the control of insect pests. The non-selective and toxic effects of these compounds have been deeply archived (Haynes, 1988). On the contrary, botanical pesticides have long been indicated as attractive alternatives to synthetic chemical pesticides for pest management because botanicals reputedly pose little threat to