Adult survival rate and oviposition preference of Stephanitis pyri (F., 1775) (Heteroptera: Tingidae) on different plant species

Abstract

Stephanitis pyri (F., 1775) is a pest of apple, pear trees and ornamental plants of Rosaceae in Palearctic Region. This study was conducted to determine that the oviposition preference of S. pyri, which is a poyphagous insect, in the laboratory conditions. No-choice and multi-choice tests were performed on the leaf of different host plant species. Leaves of 13 plant species were tested in no-choice tests. No eggs were laid on Prunus persica (L.) Batsch., Aesculus hippocastanum L., Salix alba L. and Rhododendron indicum (L.) Sweet in these tests. Total number of eggs was highest on Prunus avium L. (93.8 eggs), Pirus malus L. (80.1 eggs), Rosa sp. (77.3 eggs) and Pirus communis sativa D. C. (73.5 eggs). In multi-choice tests, eggs were laid the highest numbers on P. malus (82.7 eggs) than the others. Percent preference of S. pyri was firstly Pirus malus with 37.2 %. Secondly P. communis sativa and following P. avium were preferred to oviposit by females. Adults begun to die at day 7th and survival rate was found high in both no-choice and multi-choice tests, although they lived only 4 days without host plant.