Effect of Temperature on Life History of <I>Aphidius colemani</I> and <I>Aphidius matricariae</I> (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), Two Parasitoids of <I>Aphis gossypii</I> and <I>Myzus persicae</I> (Homoptera: Aphididae)

Abstract

The performance of two aphid parasitoids, Aphidius colemani Viereck and Aphidius matricariae (Haliday), against Aphis gossypii Glover on greenhouse cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) and Myzus persicae (Sulzer) on sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) were evaluated at various constant temperatures. Biological parameters of both parasitoids including developmental time, pupal survivorship, percentage of parasitism, and sex ratio of the progeny were studied at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 degrees C. At 25 degrees C, an average of 10.0 +/- 1.1 and 9.8 +/- 1.1 d was needed for A. colemani to complete its development from oviposition to adult eclosion on A. gossypii and M. persicae, respectively. The corresponding average times needed for A. matricariae were 11.9 +/- 0.9 and 11.5 +/- 1.1 d, respectively. The lower developmental thresholds for A. colemani reared on A. gossypii and M. persicae were estimated from linear regression equations to be 2.97 and 2.65 degrees C, respectively, whereas these values for A. matricariae were 3.37 and 3.51 degrees C, respectively. Parasitization rate of both parasitoid species, recorded as percent aphids mummified, increased almost linearly with increasing temperature to reach a maximum at 25 degrees C and decreased at 30 degrees C. The optimal temperatures for development of A. colemani and A. matricariae were approximately 30 and 25 degrees C, respectively, and high mortality occurred at higher temperatures. The Lactin 2 and Briere 1 developmental models were accepted based on their excellent goodness-of-fit to the data (residual sum of square and coefficient of determination) and estimable temperature thresholds and are strongly recommended for the description of temperature-dependent development of A. colemani and A. matricariae.

Temperature-dependent development and life table parameters of Typhlodromus bagdasarjani (Phytoseiidae) fed on two-spotted spider mite

“…These models have been frequently used for this purpose in similar studies (e.g., Tsoukanas et al 2006;Haghani et al 2007;Zamani et al 2007).…”

Effects of climate warming on host–parasitoid interactions

“…These processes are frequently temperature dependent (Hance et al ., 2007), so climate change may alter the strength of host-parasitoid interactions by altering levels of parasitoid virulence and host resistance. For example, temperature can affect host physiological immune activity (Fellowes et al ., 1999), the efficacy of defensive behaviours (Bannerman et al ., 2011), and levels of parasitoid virulence (Zamani et al ., 2007).…”

Estimating development and temperature thresholds of Scolothrips longicornis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) on eggs of two-spotted spider mite using linear and nonlinear models

“…Inaccuracies might also be caused by an experimental error or a greater variability of individuals within a population when exposed to extreme conditions. Additional sampling at the left side of the curve, by including more experimental temperatures and more individuals, might provide more precise estimation of the low temperature threshold (Roy et al 2002;Zamani et al 2007) hereby allowing a more well-substantiated comparison between the models. Degree-day models developed from constant temperature experiments can be used to the predict emergence of S. longicornis in the field.…”

“…Undoubtedly, the development rate of S. longicornis may be influenced by factors other than temperature, such as nutrition, humidity, and photoperiod, which were not included in the models presented here. Additionally, varying temperatures may exert different effects than do constant temperatures (Zamani et al 2007) on the development of S. longicornis.…”