Modeling Thermal Developmental Trajectories and Thermal Requirements of the Ladybird Stethorus gilvifrons

Author(s)
Maryam Jafari, Shila Goldasteh, Hossein Ranjbar Aghdam, Abbas Ali Zamani, Ebrahim Soleyman-Nejadian, Peter Schausberger
Abstract

The development rate of the predatory ladybird, Stethorus gilvifrons (Mulsant), fed on Tetranychus urticae Koch, was determined at 15, 20, 25, 27, 30, 34, and 38 °C. The total development time from egg to adult emergence for females was estimated to be 61.4, 31.6, 14.4, 13.3, 12.5, and 11.7 days, respectively. The development time decreased with increasing temperature from 15 to 34 °C, but all eggs failed to hatch at 38 °C. The lower temperature threshold (T0) for the entire development period and the thermal constant (K) for female S. gilvifrons were estimated to be 11.64 °C and 194.50 degree-days (DD) using the common linear model, and 11.96 °C and 187.87 DD using the Ikemoto and Takai model, respectively. Data were fitted to 20 non-linear development rate models and the thermal thresholds (Tmin and Tmax) and optimal temperature (Topt) were estimated. Among non-linear models, the Briere-2 and Ikemoto and Takai linear model provided adequate descriptions of the temperature-dependent development of S. gilvifrons. The upper-temperature threshold was estimated to be about 44 °C using the Logan-10 non-linear model. The estimated thermal development characteristics can be used to predict the occurrence and the population dynamics, as well as to improve the mass rearing and release, of S. gilvifrons for the biological control of T. urticae.

Organisation(s)
Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology
External organisation(s)
Islamic Azad University , Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection, Razi University
Journal
Insects
Volume
14
ISSN
2075-4450
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14010011
Publication date
01-2022
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
106051 Behavioural biology
Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Insect Science
Portal url
https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/en/publications/modeling-thermal-developmental-trajectories-and-thermal-requirements-of-the-ladybird-stethorus-gilvifrons(fd14d6ab-e472-42b7-b4b3-a7b03805bed1).html