امین صادقی

The cyclamen mite, Phytonemus pallidus (Banks), is an important pest of greenhouse grown plants. If the humidity is high, field grown strawberries also may be infested. To provide a comprehensive evaluation of ecology-based and cost-effective control program, life history and demographic parameters of P. pallidus were evaluated. The experiment was conducted at a constant temperature of 25±1°C, 60±5% RH and a photoperiod of 16:8 (L:D) hours. The data were analyzed based on the age-stage, two-sex life table theory. Developmental time of different stages including egg, larva, female and male was 4.1±0.059, 3.72±0.09, 11.61±0.16 and 5.88±0.24 days for male, respectively. Fecundity in the average of oviposition period (13.71days) was 1.55 eggs per day per female. The values of the intrinsic rate of increase (r), net reproduction rate (R0), mean generation time (T) and finite rate of increase (λ) were obtained 0.153 day −1, 8.5 offspring/female, 13.90 days and 1.16 day −1 respectively. Life table gives the most comprehensive description on the survival, stage differentiation and reproduction of a population and thus is the most important basis of population ecology and pest management.