Using a Two-Sex Life Table Tool to Calculate the Fitness of <i>Orius strigicollis</i> as a Predator of <i>Pectinophora gossypiella</i>

oleh: Shahzaib Ali, Sizhe Li, Waqar Jaleel, Muhammad Musa Khan, Jintao Wang, Xingmiao Zhou

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2020-04-01

Deskripsi

A two-sex life table is a useful tool for studying the fitness of predators. Previous studies of <i>Orius</i> <i>strigicollis</i> Poppius (Heteroptera: Anthocoridae) fitness have not been done on <i>Pectinophora gossypiella</i> (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) using a two-sex life table tool. This study reports the fitness of the minute predatory flower bug, <i>O. strigicollis</i> when feeding on the cotton pest <i>P. gossypiella</i> using a two-sex life table tool. Different densities (5, 10, and 15 eggs) of <i>P. gossypiella</i> eggs were used to calculate the feeding capacity and fitness of <i>O. strigicollis</i> in the laboratory at 28 °C ± 1, 75 ± 5% RH and 16:8 (L:D). The results concluded that <i>O. strigicollis</i> is an efficient predator of <i>P. gossypiella</i>. The maximum growth capacity of the predatory bug <i>O. strigicollis</i> was attained when it was fed on 10 and 15 <i>P. gossypiella</i> eggs. Furthermore, shorter generation and development time were also observed in the case of 15 eggs of <i>P. gossypiella</i>. These results suggest that <i>O. strigicollis</i> has considerable predatory potential and prefers feeding on <i>P. gossypiella</i> eggs than on the first instar larvae at the fourth instar or the female stage. Although the field potential of <i>O. strigicollis</i> is still unknown, this study will support future investigations in terms of field applications.