Host preference and life table parameters of two-spotted red spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranycidae) on some solanaceous and cucurbitaceous vegetable crops

Abstract

Comparative biological studies based on development, survival, fecundity and life tables' parameters of Tetranychus urticae were conducted to assay host suitability of some solanaceous and cucurbitaceous vegetable crops. Survival rates of T. urticae were significantly different on the tested hosts that varied from 42.86 on pepper to 100% on watermelon. Development periods of larvae, deutonymph and total immature stages were significantly affected by kind of host plants that the longest times were observed on pepper. Furthermore, long longevity (13.2-13.9 days) and oviposition periods (11.5-12.3 days) of females on the cucurbitaceous, stimulate females to deposit large numbers of eggs. The mite populations could double in 0.423-1.055 days on cucurbitaceous and faster than solanaceous. Highest values for finite rate of increase (λ) (7.82 individual/day), net productive rate (Ro) (72.95 egg/female), and intrinsic rate of natural increase (rm) (2.055 offspring/female/day) were observed on watermelon. So cucurbitaceous, especially watermelon have high host suitability to T. urticae.