Thermal requirements and fertility life table of Phytoseiulus macropilis (Banks) (Acari: Phytoseiidae)Thermal requirements of Phytoseiulus macropilis (Banks) fed with Tetranychus urticae Koch at five constant temperatures (18, 20, 23, 26 and 30°C), and the effect of three constant temperatures (20, 23 and 26°C) on the adult stage were studied. The data were used to produce the fertility life tables. The stages of egg, larva, protonymph, deutonymph and adult egg corresponded to the temperature thresholds of 12.6, 13.1, 11.6, 13.4 and 12.7°C, respectively, and thermal constants of 26.65, 10.27, 16.04, 13.31 and 66.04 DD, respectively. The average duration of a generation (T) varied from 24.3 to 18.5 days at the temperatures from 20°C to 26°C. The highest net reproduction (R0 = 35,3) and the intrinsic rate of increase (r m = 0,19) were obtained at 23ºC. The highest fecundity rate was registered at 26ºC.
Mite; biology; Phytoseiid; thermal constant
