Effect of temperature on life table parameters of Diaphania indica (Lep.: Pyralidae) under laboratory conditions

The cucumber moth, Diaphania indica (Saunders), is a tropical and sub-tropical pest on cucurbits and a key pest of greenhouse crops in Jiroft region of Iran. The effect of temperature on life table parameters of this pest was investigated in a growth chamber at four constant temperatures i.e. 20, 25, 30 and 35 ºC on Cucumis sativus L. The net reproductive rates (R0) were found to be 68.19, 120.977, 64.05 and 21.23, respectively. The intrinsic rates of increase (rm) were 0.0619, 0.1746, 0.1934 and 0.1491, and mean generation times (T) were 69.063, 27.45, 21.49 and 20.44, respectively. According to the results, for the intrinsic rate of increase (rm), finite rate of increase (λ) and intrinsic birth rate (b), the optimum temperature was 30 ºC and the least suitable temperature was 20 ºC.