Intrinsic rate of population increase of Amitus fuscipennis MacGown and Nebeker (Hym., Platygasteridae) according to climatic conditions and bean cultivar

Data on adult longevity, reproduction and intrinsic rate of population increase of insect parasitoid Amitus fuscipennis MacGown and Nebeker (Hym., Platygasteridae) were obtained under different climatic conditions on two bean cultivars. The insect host was the greenhouse whitefly Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood) (Hom., Aleyrodidae). On cv. Chocho, at 19°C, 75 ± 5␛H and at 22°C, 70 ± 5␛H, mean longevity of adult Amitus females on the host insect was 9.3 and 5.7 days; mean fertility was 64.1 eggs and 52.7 eggs; and rm values were 0.102 day1 and 0.144 day1 for the respective conditions. On cv. ICA-Pijao, at 19°C, 75 ± 5␛H, mean longevity was 15.2 days; mean fertility was highest (162.8 eggs); and rm value was 0.117 day1. The rm values of Amitus were higher than those of its host under the same test conditions. This parasitoid may therefore be a suitable candidate for use in inoculative or seasonal inoculative control programs against T. vaporariorum.