Age-stage, two-sex life table of Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) reared on six tomato cultivars

The two-spotted spider mite (TSSM), Tetranychus urticae (Koch), is a polyphagous pest of tomato in Bangladesh and other growing regions. This study investigated the impact of five high-yielding tomato cultivars, viz., BARI Tomato-2, BARI Tomato-5, BARI Tomato-9, BARI Tomato-10, BARI Tomato-11, and one hybrid variety, F1 hybrid (Beautiful), on the life history and population growth parameters of TSSM at 25 +/- 2 degrees C and a photoperiod of 16: 8 hours (L:D) with 60 +/- 10% relative humidity using age-stage, two-sex life table method. The immature developmental times of females of TSSM were longest on BARI Tomato-11 (13.45 days) and shortest on BARI Tomato-2 (11.96 days). Fecundity varied significantly among the cultivars, with the lowest observed on BARI Tomato-9 (60.0 eggs female-1) and the highest on BARI Tomato-5 (74.56 eggs female-1). The net reproductive rate (R0) varied from 45.51 on BARI Tomato-2 to 57.51 on BARI Tomato-5. The finite rate of increase (lambda) was highest on BARI Tomato-5 (1.2790 day-1) and lowest on BARI Tomato-11 (1.2567 day-1). The lowest and highest intrinsic rate of increase (r) were 0.2285 day-1 and 0.2461 day-1 on BARI Tomato-11 and BARI Tomato-5, respectively. The mean generation time (T) were lowest on BARI Tomato-2 (15.77 days) and highest (17.57 days) on BARI Tomato-11 (17.57 days). A comparison of TSSM demographic data on six tomato cultivars revealed that BARI Tomato-11 and BARI Tomato-5 were less suitable and susceptible cultivars, respectively. The findings could provide new valuable information for designing a comprehensive IPM strategy against T. urticae in tomato cultivation.