Demography and Population Projection of Myzus Persicae (Sulz.) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on Five Pepper (Capsicum Annuum L.) Cultivars

Abstract

The green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is a major pest of pepper. In this study, we collected data on the development, survival, fecundity, and proportion of apterous and alate forms of green peach aphid reared on five commercial pepper cultivars (Amiral, Erciyes, Mert, Mertcan, and Naz) at 25 +/- 1 degrees C, 60 +/- 5% RH, and a photoperiod of 16:8 (L:D) h. We analyzed the life history raw data by using the age-stage, two-sex life table. The shortest development time (6.66 days) and highest fecundity (62.68 individuals) occurred on the Erciyes cultivar. The highest intrinsic rate of increase (r = 0.332 d(-1)), finite rate of increase (lambda = 1.394 d(-1)), net reproductive rate (R-0 = 62.7 offspring) and shortest mean generation time (T = 12.45 d) also occurred on the Erciyes cultivar; while the lower fitness occurred on the Amiral, Mertcan and Naz cultivars. Our results compared differences in the population growth rate of M. persicae on different pepper cultivars. This information will be useful to individuals working in pest management programs particularly those involving M. persicae.