Thermal requirements and age-specific life tables of cowpea aphids in cowpea under natural field conditions

ABSTRACT: Thermal requirements and life tables of insects are important tools in the ecological management of pests. Thus, this study aimed to construct age-specific life tables for Aphis craccivora at different times of the year and, based on their thermal requirements, predict the occurrence of adults under field conditions. To that end, aphids of known age were kept in cages over cowpea plants at different times of the year - November 2016 and March, April, and June 2017 - at the Agricultural Sciences Center of the Federal University of Piauí. Parameters of development, fertility, and mortality were observed daily, allowing us to construct age-specific life tables, as well as an accumulated degree-day model to predict adult occurrence. The time of year affected the first and second stages of development of the cowpea aphid, the nymphal and reproductive periods, longevity, the biological cycle, the number of nymphs produced per female, the daily production of nymphs per female, life expectancy (ex), and survival (Lx). However, the fertility life tables showed significant differences only in the net reproduction rate (R0). The proposed degree-day model reached an accuracy of one day or more than the observed value, with a maximum error of 12.9%. We concluded that the proposed model is adequate to predict the occurrence of adults in the field and that the population parameters of A. craccivora in cowpea are negatively affected during November and positively affected in June.