Aphis gossypii Glover (Homoptera, Aphididae) obtained from cotton fields near Adana in the east Mediterranean region of Turkey were colonized on Gossypium hirsutum L. | Tr. J. of Agriculture and Forestry 23 (1999) 637-643 © TÜBİTAK Development and Fecundity of Aphis Gossypii Glover (Homoptera: Aphididae) on Three Malvaceae Hosts Serdar SATAR, Ulrich KERSTİNG, Nedim UYGUN Çukurova University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Plant Protection, 01330 Adana-TURKEY Received: Abstract: Aphis gossypii Glover (Homoptera, Aphididae) obtained from cotton fields near Adana in the east Mediterranean region of Turkey were colonized on Gossypium hirsutum L. ‘Çukurova 1518’ in a climatic room. The effect of host transfer from cotton to common mallow, Malva sylvestris L., and okra, Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench 'Bamya 501', on performance of A. gossypii was studied at constant 25 ± 1°C, 60 ± 5 % relative humidity and 16 h of artificial light (5000 lux) in temperature cabinets. Three subsequent generations of A. gossypii from cotton were additionally tested on okra. Fecundity tables were constructed to compare the performance of the cotton aphid on the three different Malvaceae hosts. Developmental time ( days) was longer and fecundity reduced ( nymphs/aphid) on okra compared to common mallow ( days and nymphs/aphid) and cotton ( days and nymphs/aphid). The highest age-specific number of nymphs (m ) x occurred on common mallow at an age of nine days with nymphs/aphid, and the lowest on okra with only nymphs/aphid at the ninth day. A. gossypii on cotton produced a maximum age-specific number of nymphs at day ten with nymphs/aphid. Generation times (TO) were similar for all three host plants, however, the mean number of aphids laid during an individual’s lifetime (Ro) varied largely between aphids/aphid on okra to nymphs/aphid on common mallow. The significantly lowest intrinsic rate of increase (rm) ( aphids/aphid/day) was calculated for A. gossypii on okra. Even after three subsequent generations on okra, the performance did not improve, indicating that genetically distinct .
