[Development and reproduction of B-biotype Bemisia tabaci on four cucurbitaceous host plants]

The study on the development and reproduction of B-biotype Bemisia tabaci on four cucurbitaceous host plants, i. e., cucumber, hairy gourd, bitter cucumber, and sponge gourd, showed that the one generation development duration of B. tabaci was the shortest (19.3 d) on hairy gourd and the longest (29.0 d) on bitter cucumber, the survival rate from egg to adult was the highest (92.85%) on cucumber and the lowest (53.08%) on bitter cucumber, the laid eggs were the most (187.4 eggs per female) on cucumber and the least (30.0 eggs per female) on bitter cucumber, and the longevity was the longest (25.2 d) on cucumber and the shortest (10.9 d) on bitter cucumber. The intrinsic rate of increase (r(m)) on cucumber, hairy gourd, bitter cucumber, and sponge gourd was 0.1453, 0.1429, 0.0616, and 0.1055, respectively. Among the test cucurbitaceous host plants, cucumber was the most suitable host plant for B. tabaci.