Life table of Cryptolaemus mointrouzieri fed on ovisacs of Pulvinaria aurantii on clementine mandarin and sour orange

The coccinellid، Cryptolaemus mointrouzieri Mulsant is one of the most efficient predators of orange pulvinaria scale، Pulvinaria auranti Cockerell. In this research، the biological characteristics of C. mointrouzieri were studied when fed on ovisacs of P. aurantii reared on leaves of two host plants (clementine mandarin and sour orange)، under controlled conditions at 26±1oC، 70±5% RH and 14:10 (L: D) h. The data were analyzed using the age-stage، two-sex life table model. This ladybird had significantly faster development and more fecundity when fed on scale ovisacs reared on clementine mandarin than on sour orange. Significant differences were observed in population growth parameters of ladybird on two treatments. The intrinsic rate of natural increase (rm)، finite rate of increase (λ)، net reproductive rate (R0) and generation time (T) were 0. 122 day-1، 1. 129 day-1، 309. 0 offspring/female and 47. 1 day on clementine mandarin and 0. 110 day-1، 1. 116 day-1، 214. 2 offspring/female and 48. 8 day on sour orange، respectively. These results demonstrated that positive effects of host plant on population growth parameters of this ladybird feeding on P. aurantii were higher on clementine mandarin than on sour orange.