Effects of different potato cultivars on life history and demographic parameters of Phthorimaea operculella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)

Potato tuber worm, Phothorimae operculella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is a common pest of potato which causes a heavy loss in yield either in fields or storage. The effect of six potato cultivars (Agria, Florida, Impala, Picasso, Satina, and Sprint) were evaluated on the life history, life table and demographic parameters of P.operculella under laboratory conditions, which could be appropriate indices in resistance and susceptibility evaluation of potato cultivars. The longest development time was on Picasso (28.76 ± 0.36d) cultivar. The male longevity ranged from 4.83 ± 0.44d on Sprint to 7.45 ± 0.60d on Picasso. Impala and Satina with 53.22 ± 7.78 and 28.74 ± 3.54 eggs/individual had the highest and the lowest net reproductive rates (R₀). The highest values for the intrinsic rate of increase (r_m) and finite rate of increase (λ) were on Impala (r_m: 0.119 day^?1, λ: 1.75 day^?1), and the lowest value was on Sprint (r_m: 0.090 day^?1, λ: 1.01 day^?1). The results indicated that Sprint was the most resistant cultivar for the feeding of P.operculella, which could be useful in the development of integrated pest management programs for this pest.