A Study on the Demographic Parameters of Egyptian Cotton Leafworm Spodoptera littoralis (B.) (Lep.: Noctuidae) Fed on Artificial Diet and under Laboratory Conditions

Spodoptera littoralis (Boisd.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is an important injurious pest of such crop plants as cotton, clover, alfalfa, sugar beet and vegetables as well. Larvae of this pest feed on about 40 plant families many of which are of high economic importance. Demography of S. littoralis was studied on an artificial diet at 25±2? C, 65±5 % RH and 16L:8D in the laboratory. Data analysis was done on an age-stage, two-sex life-table, to take both sexes and their varying development into consideration. The intrinsic rate of increase (rm), finite rate of increase (?), net reproductive rate (R0), gross reproductive rate (GRR), mean generation time (T), birth rate (b), survival rate, death rate (d) and fecundity of S. littoralis were estimated as 0.1145d-1,1.1145d-1, 80.26 female/female, 190.4 female/female, 40.44d, 0.1219, 0.9926, 0.0074 and 276.76 ± 55.25, respectively. In conclusion, life table parameters obtained in this study revealed that the artificial diet used in this research was a suitable regime to rear the pest under laboratory conditions.