Temperature and Host Plant Effects on Development, Survival, and Fecundity of Bemisia argentifolii (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae)

• Published in: Environmental entomology 2001-02, Vol.30 (1), p.55-63
• Main Authors: Nava-Camberos, Urbano, Riley, David G, Harris, Marvin K
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aleyrodidae; Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Bemisia argentifolii; Bemisia tabaci; Biological and medical sciences; cantaloupe; cotton; Demecology; development; fecundity; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; POPULATION ECOLOGY; Protozoa. Invertebrata; survival
• ISSN: 0046-225X; 1938-2936
• DOI: 10.1603/0046-225X-30.1.55

Development time and percent survival of the silverleaf whitefly, Bemisia argentifolii Bellows & Perring (formerly referred to as B strain of sweetpotato whitefly), were determined at five constant temperatures ranging from 20 to 35°C on two cultivars of cotton, cantaloupe, and pepper (Capsicum sp.). Fecundity was recorded at 30°C during the first 10 d of adulthood. Developmental, survival, and fecundity rates were not significantly different between cultivars within crops of either cotton or cantaloupe, but varied between crops. Development time from egg to adult at 20–32°C ranged from 14.6 ± 0.8 (mean ± SE) to 36.0 ± 1.0 d on cantaloupe and from 16.3 ± 0.7 to 37.9 ± 2.1 d on cotton, respectively. Whiteflies did not develop at 35°C or on pepper at any temperature. Minimum developmental thresholds and degree-days requirements from egg to adult were 11.1°C and 312.5 DD on cotton and 13.2°C and 250.0 DD on cantaloupe, respectively. Immature survival was high (76.5 ± 11.5–100%) on cantaloupe, intermediate (37.3 ± 13.3–64.4 ± 10.2%) on cotton, and very low (0–8.3 ± 8.3%) on pepper from 20–32°C. Fecundity ranged from 153.3 ± 10.8–158.3 ± 9.3 eggs per female on cantaloupe, from 117.0 ± 6.0–117.5 ± 22.1 eggs per female on cotton, and from 2.1 ± 0.7–40.5 ± 5.8 eggs per female on pepper, at 30°C.