The influence of light intensity, daylength and temperature on increase rates of four glasshouse aphids.
Abstract
Life tables and intrinsic rates of increase were obtained for Myzus persicae (Sulz.), Brachycaudus helichrysi (Kalt.) and Macrosiphoniella sanborni (Gill.) on chrysanthemum, and for Aphis gossypii Glov. on cucumber in the greenhouse in Sussex, England, at 18 and 14 deg C, with day-lengths of 8 and 16 h and light intensities of 800, 4000 and 8000 lx, in all combinations, the aphids being kept in modified Munger cells. In general, A. gossypii matured earliest and produced the most young, followed by Myzus persicae. Prereproductive time, mean generation time and life-span were prolonged by the lower temperature but were little affected by the other factors. The number of progeny was greatly reduced by low light intensity. Day-length had no general effect but produced strong and complex interactions with the other factors.