Development and Reproduction of the Psocid Liposcelis bostrychophila (Psocoptera: Liposcelididae) as a Function of Temperature

The development, survival, and reproduction of the psocid Liposcelis bostrychophila Badonnel were evaluated at 8 constant temperatures (17.5, 20, 22.5, 25, 27.5, 30, 32.5, and 35°C). The population reared at 17.5°C failed to develop or reproduce. Between 20 and 35°C, developmental period from egg to adult varied from 41.9 d at 20°C to 18.1 d at 32°C. Based on a nonlinear model, the lower-temperature developmental thresholds from egg, 1st through 4th stadia, and combined immature stages were estimated at 14.8, 17.4, 14.6, 15.5, 17.4, and 15.5°C, respectively; the upper temperature thresholds ranged from 36.4 to 38.8°C. The survival from egg to adult was 82.9% at 27.5°C; 37.4 and 50.7% at 20 and 35°C, respectively. After emergence the adult had a preoviposition period that ranged from 17.9 d at 20°C to 3.3 d at 27.5°C. L. bostrychophila produced the most eggs (74.7) at 27.5°C and the fewest (51.9) at 20°C. The population reared at 30°C had the highest intrinsic rate of increase (0.0946), net reproductive rate (59.59), the shortest population doubling time (7.3 d), and shorter mean generation time (43.2 d) compared with the populations reared at 6 other constant temperatures. The populations reared at 27.5–32.5°C had type I survivorship pattern; whereas populations reared at other temperatures had type III survivorship curve as determined by a Weibull frequency distribution. The optimal range of temperature for L. bostrychophila population growth was 25–32.5°C.