Influence of temperature on life table parameters of Iranian false spider mite,Cenopalpus iraniDosse (Tenuipalpidae) on apple leaves

Cenopalpus irani Dosse (Tenuipalpidae) is one of the important pests of apple trees that is widely distributed in apple orchards located in the Western regions of Iran. The effect of four ambient temperatures (20, 25, 30 and 32°C) on demographic parameters of C. irani was determined under laboratory conditions at 50 ± 5% relative humidity (RH) and a photoperiod of 16:8 h (light: dark) fed on apple leaves. The total developmental time of immature stages of C. irani decreased with increasing temperature from 20°C to 32°C. Total egg-to-adult development time varied from 19.74 ± 0.29 to 47.63 ± 0.49 days for C. irani females. The highest value of egg hatching rate (95%) and the survival rate for immature stages (89.5%) was found at 30°C. The longest and shortest oviposition periods were recorded at 20°C (50.17 ± 1.55 days) and 32°C (26.38 ± 0.81 days), respectively. The value of fecundity increased as increasing temperature from 20°C (25.78 ± 0.99 eggs) to 30°C (34.60 ± 1.21 eggs), then decreased at 32°C (29.50 ± 1eggs). The highest and lowest values of the intrinsic rate of increase (rm) were 0.090 and 0.028 day−1, which were obtained at 30°C and 20°C, respectively. The mean generation time (T) significantly decreased from 62.41 ± 0.76 to 28.31 ± 0.33 days with increasing temperature from 20°C to 32°C.