How greenhouse cucumber cultivars affect population growth and two-sex life table parameters of Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae)

The effect of 12 greenhouse cucumber cultivars (Royal, Amitral, Ariya, Sultan, Vida, Bahman, Storm, Nasim, Negin, PS-29, Tornado and Caspian) on life history and demographic parameters of the two-spotted spider mite (TSSM) (Tetranychus urticae Koch) was determined under laboratory conditions at 25 +/- 1oC, 60 +/- 5% RH and a photoperiod of 16:8 (L:8) hours using age-stage, two-sex life table procedure. The longest development time was 8.28 +/- 0.09days on Caspian and the shortest period was obtained on Vida and PS-29 (5.45 +/- 0.12 and 5.54 +/- 0.07days, respectively). The TSSM fecundity varied from 64.83 +/- 5.33 to 98.38 +/- 5.65 eggs per female, which was minimum on Negin and maximum on Amitral. The shortest female longevity was observed on Negin (16.08 +/- 1.15days) and the longest on Amitral (26.82 +/- 1.36days). The net reproductive rate (R-0) varied from 42.30 +/- 4.90 on Negin to 75.72 +/- 6.64 eggs per individual on Amitral. The lowest value of the intrinsic rate of increase (r) and finite rate of increase (lambda) was on Caspian (0.249 +/- 0.006 and 1.282 +/- 0.008day(-1), respectively) and the highest was on Vida (0.331 +/- 0.010 and 1.389 +/- 0.014day(-1), respectively). The mean generation time (T) on different cultivars varied from 11.68 +/- 0.170 to 16.71 +/- 0.266days. The comparison of demographic parameters of TSSM on 12 greenhouse cucumber cultivars suggested that Vida was the most susceptible and Caspian was the most resistant cultivar to TSSM among the cucumber cultivars tested. Our results could provide implications towards integrated management of TSSM considering its performance on different crop cultivars in terms of population growth potentials.