Biological Aspects And Life Table Analysis Of Cereal Aphid Species And Their Parasitoid Aphidius colemani Viereck (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae)

• A. H. El-Heneidy1, H. M. Sobhy1, S. M. N. Abd-El Wahed1 and W. Z. A. Mikhail1
• ¹ Institute of African Research and Studies, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
• ² Plant Protection Research Institute, ARC, Giza, Egypt.

Abstract

Theoretical predictions of the life tables are considered here for population of cereal aphid species Rhopalosiphum padi L. and Schazaphis graminum Rond. and their associated parasitoid Aphidius colemani Viereck (Hymenoptera: Ahpidiidae) using age specific, survival and fecundity schedule. Almost all values of R. padi and S. graminum on barley outnumbered those on wheat. Results of life table analysis using R. padi and S. graminum on the wheat cultivars coded 3, 5 and 8 under the laboratory conditions (23 ±1ºC and 60±5% R.H.) showed that cultivar coded 5 seemed to be the most resistant cultivar for both aphid species among the tested three cultivars as well the check variety Sakha 69. The other two cultivars showed different susceptibility for the two cereal aphid species, cultivar coded 3 was more tolerant to the infestation than the cultivar coded 8, in case of R. padi while it was vice-versa in case of S. graminum. Results of life table analysis using the parasitoid A. colemani on R. padi and S. graminum on wheat and barley showed equal values for the parasitoid on R. padi on both wheat and barley. All values of A. colemani on S. graminum on barley were higher than that on wheat. Significant differences among the three different wheat cultivars were recorded when they were exposed to R. padi and /or S. graminum and A . colemani.