ABSTRACT
Blastopsylla occidentalis Taylor, 1985 (Hemiptera: Aphalaridae) is a psyllid which host is the eucalyptus, originally from Australia, which was introduced in Brazil in the mid-1990s. Little is known on the biology of this insect. Here, we examine the effect of temperature on its development and the reproduction under laboratory conditions. The experiments were carried out in 2018 and 2019, in climate chambers regulated at five temperatures (15, 20, 25, 30 and 35°C). The parameters observed at this stage of the experiment were: period of the egg development (number of days, from laying to hatching); hatching rate of immatures; development of immatures; adult emergency rate; longevity, the period (in day) of laying until the death of the first generation adults (F1). Blastopsylla occidentalis completed the life cycle at temperatures of 20, 25 and 30C, with an average duration of 32.78, 27.76 and 28.44 days, respectively. In the F1 generation, no posture was observed at 30°C, while at 20 and 25°C, the average fertility was 19.04 and 26.40 eggs per female, respectively. The average duration of the egg incubation was 6.70 (20 °C) and 5.59 (25 °C) days. Immature B. occidentalis did not complete their development at 15 and 35°C and we conclude that these temperatures limit its development. The optimum temperature range for the development and the reproduction was between 20 and 25°C, with 25°C, being the temperature at which the insect had the lowest mortality in all stages, the shortest development time and the highest average number of eggs/days. It is hoped that these results will help to improve the management techniques for the control of the species.
Keyword:
Eucalypt; Thermal requirements; Forest protection; Psylloidea
Thumbnail
Fonte: Autores (2020)