Life table of Eurhizococcus colombianus Jakubski (Hemiptera: Margarodidae) on four plant structures

Abstract

The ground pearl Eurhizococcus colombianus Jakubski is a pest of economic importance in several Colombian fruittrees, mainly blackberry. For the establishment of any management program it is necessary to know some biological characteristics of this insect such as population dynamics, natural relationships and mortality factors. It is possible to predict the population dynamic through insect rearing and the construction of the life table, which summarizes the data of the population's vitality. The effect of four plant structures, stems and fruits of fig, bulbs of beetroot and tuber of yellow potato, on the life cycle, survival, life table and fertility was determined. The nymphs did not develope on fig fruits and tubers of the yellow potato because of the structures decomposition. On fig stems and beetroot the complete development of the insect's cycle was achieved, finding differences in the duration of the nymphal stage, the longitudinal measure of the cyst at the age of 110 days and the survival. With the life table data and fertility it was determined that this specie under laboratories condition presents a life cycle between 183-239 days, a low fertility, low power of multiplication and low population's growth. The data indicate that fig stems are suitable for rearing E. colombianus and that the management measures should be implemented when the pest is at the stage of egg and movable nymph.