| Data obtained in studies on the biology and reproduction of Macrolophus basicornis (Heteroptera: Miridae) preying on Myzus persicae (Sulzer) and Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas) on tomato at 28°C, were used to construct life tables for this polyphagous mirid. When M. euphorbiae was preying on M. persicae, the net reproductive rate (Ro) was 4.75, the intrinsic rate of increase (r m) 0.02 (hembra/hembra/day), the mean generation time (T) and the doubling time (DT) 73.91 and 32.9 days, respectively. The corresponding values when it was feeding on M. euphorbiae were 2.57, 0.01, 1.014 days and 49.35 days, respectively. The results demonstrated that M. basicornis could survive and reproduce with M. persicae as well as M. euphorbiae as preys, although the number... |
