Life history parameters of the Sunn pest, Eurygaster integriceps, held at four constant temperatures

The Sunn-pest, Eurygaster integriceps Puton (Heteroptera: Scutelleridae), is the most important insect pest of wheat and barley in Iran. A demographic study was carried out in order to determine the effect of temperature on life history parameters of the pest. Life tables were constructed at four constant temperatures: 22, 25, 27, and 30 ± 1° C using Mahdavi wheat kernels as food. Finite and intrinsic rates of population increase, gross and net reproductive rates, intrinsic rates of birth and death, generation time, doubling time, and lifetime female fecundity all varied significantly among temperatures. The intrinsic rate of natural increase, rm, increased linearly with temperature and was estimated to be 0.0126, 0.0381, 0.0541, and 0.0789 females/female/day, respectively, at the above-mentioned temperatures. Generation time ranged from 121 days at 22° C to 40 days at 30° C. Net replacement rate was significantly lower at 22° C than at other temperatures (4.6 vs. 22.2 to 25.8 females/female/generation). Lifetime female fecundity ranged from 123.1 at 22° C to 209.4 at 30° C. The thermal threshold for post-diapause pre-reproductive development was estimated to be 20 degrees C, and 66.8 degree-days were required for its completion.