REMARKABLY, THE IMPACT OF INSECT PREDATORS IN AGRICULTURE GOES FAR BEYOND THEIR CONSUMPTION OF PEST INSECTS. ACROSS ECOSYSTEMS, AN AVERAGE OF 50% OF THE EFFECT OF PREDATORS ON PREY AND PLANT DAMAGE IS THROUGH CHANGES IN PREY BEHAVIOR WHEN THEY PERCEIVE PREDATORS (WITHOUT BEING EATEN!). PREDATORS ARE IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTORS TO SUSTAINABLE PEST MANAGEMENT, BUT THEIR USE TO CONTROL PESTS URGENTLY NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED. WE HAVE DISCOVERED THAT ALL BEETLE PEST LIFE-STAGES ARE AFFECTED BY PREDATOR PRESENCE. BENEFITS TO AGRICULTURE OCCURS THROUGH REDUCTIONS IN FEEDING BY ADULTS AND LARVAE WHEN PREDATORS ARE PRESENT AND ADULTS LAY FEWER EGGS COMPARED TO NO-PREDATOR CONTROLS. HOWEVER, PARENTAL PREDATOR EXPOSURE ALSO INCREASES INVESTMENT IN OFFSPRING QUALITY, POTENTIALLY INCREASING OFFSPRING SURVIVAL IN THE FACE OF PREDATION OR OTHER STRESSES AND ALLOWING THE PESTS TO COMPENSATE FOR THEIR INITIALLY REDUCED DENSITIES. TO MAXIMIZE THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF PREDATORS ON PESTS WE NEED TO INTEGRATE KNOWLEDGE OF SHORT AND LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF PREDATORS ON PEST POPULATIONS. IN THIS PROPOSAL WE WILL MEASURE THE FUNDAMENTAL TRADEOFF BETWEEN OFFSPRING NUMBER AND OFFSPRING QUALITY FOR BEETLES EXPOSED TO PREDATORS AT DIFFERENT LIFE- STAGES. WE WILL MEASURE THE INFLUENCE OF OFFSPRING DENSITY AND QUALITY FOR OFFSPRING PERFORMANCE AND PLANT DAMAGE IN STRESSFUL ENVIRONMENTS AND MODEL THE CONSEQUENCES FOR BEETLE POPULATION GROWTH. KNOWLEDGE OF HOW TO MANIPULATE PREY RESPONSES TO PREDATORS TO MAXIMIZE SUPPRESSION OF THE PEST POPULATION WILL OPEN NOVEL AVENUES OF INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT. THIS RESEARCH ADDRESSES THE USDA PRIORITY AREA "PESTS AND BENEFICIAL SPECIES IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION SYSTEMS" (A1112).