Life table of Nabis pseudoferus rem. (Hmiptera: Nabidae) feeding on Spodoptera littoralis boisd. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) under laboratory conditions

Abstract

The purpose of this investigation was to determine some biological parameters of the predator, Nabis pseudoferus Rem. (Hemiptera: Nabidae), feeding on the Egyptian cotton leaf worm Spodoptera littoralis Boisd. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Experiments were conducted in a climatic chamber at 25 ±1 °C and 60 ± 5 % RH under 16:8 light:dark photoperiod. N. pseudoferus feeding on S. littoralis individuals being on cotton seedlings kept in cages (12x8x7 cm) was used for the experiments. Mortality rate was 33.33% and females laid an average of 50.92 eggs during their life time. From the constructed life table, the following parameters were obtained: the intrinsic rate of increase (rm, 0.079 females/female/day), net reproduction rate (Ro, 31.00 females/ female), mean generation time (To, 43.246 days), gross reproductive rates (GRR, 37.992), doubling time (T2, 8.729) and the finite rate (λ) of N. pseudoferus (1.083), respectively.