Data from: Mortality Dynamics of a Polyphagous Invasive Herbivore Reveal Clues in Its Agroecosystem Success

Field-based, partial life table data for immature stages of silverleaf whitefly, Bemisia argentifolii, on 6 host plants including alfalfa, broccoli, spring and fall cantaloupe, cotton, ornamental lantana, and several species of annual weeds in Maricopa, Marana and Yuma Arizona, USA. Data were collected on a total of 73 individual cohorts (each replicated 4 times) from November 2000 to April 2003 at all three study sites. For each cohort, data were generated on approximately 400 individual insects (200 eggs and 200 first instar nymphs). Data provide the marginal, cause-specific mortality for eggs, and 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th instar nymphs collectively and stage-specific marginal mortality for each stage over all causes. Mortality was characterized as caused by inviability (eggs only), dislodgement, predation, parasitism (nymphs only), desiccation, and unknown. Detailed methods can be found in Naranjo and Ellsworth 2005 (Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 116(2): 93-108; https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1570-7458.2005.00297.x; and Naranjo and Ellsworth 2017 (Journal of Visualized Experiments, 129; https://doi.org/10.3791/56150). The method takes advantage of the sessile nature of immature stages of this insect. Briefly, an observer follows individual eggs or settled first instar nymphs from natural populations on the underside of host plant leaves in the field with a hand lens and determines causes of death for each individual over time. Weather data was monitored using the University of Arizona AzMet system. Note that these life table data do not include adult mortality or reproduction. The life table data were used to generate survivorship curves for each cohort on each host plant based on a physiological time scale of accumulated degree-days above 10C from the initiation of each cohort.

美国亚利桑那州马里科帕、马拉纳与尤马地区的银叶粉虱（Bemisia argentifolii）未成熟期基于田间的不完全生命表（life table）数据集，涵盖苜蓿、西兰花、春秋季甜瓜、棉花、观赏马缨丹及多种一年生杂草共6种寄主植物。本数据集于2000年11月至2003年4月期间在全部3个试验站点采集，共计73个独立队列，每个队列设置4次生物学重复，每个队列对应约400头供试试虫（200粒卵与200头1龄若虫）。
数据集包含卵、1至4龄若虫的按致死因素分类的汇总边际死亡率，以及各虫期针对所有致死因素的阶段特异性边际死亡率。致死原因分为仅发生于卵期的卵不孵化、虫体脱落、捕食、仅发生于若虫期的寄生、干燥致死及不明原因致死。
详细研究方法可参见Naranjo与Ellsworth 2005年发表于《Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata》第116卷第2期的论文（页码93-108；https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1570-7458.2005.00297.x），以及Naranjo和Ellsworth 2017年发表于《Journal of Visualized Experiments》第129期的论文（https://doi.org/10.3791/56150）。该方法利用了该昆虫未成熟期的固着生活特性：研究者借助手持放大镜，在田间追踪寄主植物叶背自然种群中的单个卵或已固定的1龄若虫，随时间记录每头试虫的致死原因。气象数据通过亚利桑那大学AzMet系统监测。
需注意，本生命表数据未包含成虫期死亡率与繁殖相关数据。研究人员基于每个队列起始时10℃以上的累积日度（degree-days）生理时间尺度，生成了各寄主植物上每个队列的存活曲线。