Abstract
Helicoverpa gelotopoeon is an endemic pest of South America that affects soybean and other important crops. Life tables are a fundamental tool used to study insect populations, resulting in crucial information for integrated pest management programs. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the biotic potential and the construction of a life table of this species under laboratory conditions. The biological parameters that showed significant differences between male and female were pupal duration, longevity and life span, which were all longer in duration for males. The net reproductive rate (R0) was 95.49, the mean generation time (T) 37.53, and the instantaneous rate of population increase "r" 0.12. The population doubling time (DT) was 5.70 days, and the daily finite rate of increase (λ) 1.13. The maximum rate of population growth occurred in the day 33. Fecundity had two peaks: at days 35 and 37. Gross and net fecundity rate, and the average number of eggs laid per female per day were 565.87, 496.07, and 18.76 respectively. The biotic potential was 2.026 x 1018 individuals/female/year. The survivorship curve showed that mortality was high during incubation period and first larval instars, then it declined until the death of last adult. These results provide important information to develop management strategies of H. gelotopoeon in South America.
Highlights
Soybean production is substantial in South American countries, including Brazil (114 million tons in 2017, CONAB 2018), Paraguay (10 million tons in 2017, CAPECO 2018) and Uruguay (3.2 million tons in 2017, MGAP 2018)
In order to contribute with helpful information for the management of this pest species, the aim of this study was the construction of a life table and the estimation of population parameters and biotic potential of this species reared in artificial diet at laboratory conditions
Since there is no published information concerning life table studies of H. gelotopoeon to compare our results with, we compared them with data of other species of this genus, with emphasis on H. armigera (Hübner)
Summary
Helicoverpa gelotopoeon is a polyphagous pest that has been reported feeding on many field and vegetable species such as soybean (Glycine max L.; Fabales: Fabaceae), chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.; Fabales: Fabaceae), cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.; Malvales: Malvaceae), sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.; Asterales: Asteraceae), corn (Zea mays L.; Poales: Poaceae), alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.; Fabales: Fabaceae), tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.; Solanales: Solanaceae), line (Linum usitatissimum L.; Malpighiales: Linaceae), beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.; Fabales: Fabaceae) and it occurs on weeds such us Physalis angulate (L.; Solanales: Solanaceae) (Biezanjo et al 1974, González 1989, Cork and Lobos 2003, Navarro et al 2009) Larvae of this species can feed on most plant structures including stems, leaves, flower heads and fruits during their development (SINAVIMO 2018). The occurrence of this species inflicts significant losses in Argentina
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