LIFE TABLES OF BACTERICERA COCKERELLI (HEMIPTERA: TRIOZIDAE) ON TOMATO UNDER LABORATORY AND FIELD CONDITIONS IN SOUTHERN TEXAS

The potato psyllid or tomato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli (Sulc) (Hemiptera: Triozidae), has become severely detrimental to the fresh tomato market by transmitting the plant pathogen Vandidatus Liberibacter psyllaurous' (syn. solanacearum). Because suppression of insect transmitted plant diseases relies on sensible insect vector management, the life table parameters of B. cockerelli reared on tomato under both laboratory and field conditions in southern Texas were determined and the population dynamics were estimated according to the life table results. Generally, B. cockerelli reared on tomato in the laboratory had greater survival, fecundity, and longevity than those reared on tomato in the field, and the intrinsic mortality was the primary factor contributing to population decrease. In contrast, up to 74.2% of B. cockerelli were missing in the field. B. cockerelli reared under field conditions had a longer developmental time, shorter preoviposition and oviposition periods, shorter adult longevity, lower fecundity and higher mortality than those reared under laboratory conditions. Therefore, the intrinsic rate of increase (c), finite rate of increase (X), and net reproductive rate (R) of field-reared B. cockerelli in south Texas were lower than the laboratory reared. These results could help in the understanding of B. cockerelli population dynamics under natural conditions in tomato fields, as well as suggest possible biotic and abiotic mortality factors that may contribute to sound insect vector management, and a better understanding of the epidemiology of B. cockerelli related diseases of tomato in south Texas and elsewhere.