Life tables of the olive leaf moth, Palpita unionalis (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), on different host plants

Abstract

The olive leaf moth, Palpita unionalis (Hübner), is an important pest on olives, and also feeds on other host plants from the Oleaceae family. In this study, the development, survival and reproduction of P. unionalis were evaluated in the laboratory at 25°C and photoperiod of L:D = 16:8 on three host plants: olive (Olea europea L., cv. Gemlik), ash (Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl.) and jasmine (Jasminum fruticans L.). Olive leaf moth larvae survived on all three host plants. The developmental time of immature stages ranged from 27.52 days on ash leaves to 30.00 days on olive leaves. Immature survival from egg to pupa was 72% on jasmine, 73% on olive and 74% on ash. The average number of eggs oviposited by adults from larvae reared on ash, jasmine and olive were 194.7, 321.8 and 390.3, respectively. The net reproductive rate of this species varied from 129.8 females/female on ash to 298.3 on olive. The intrinsic rate of population increase on ash, jasmine and olive was 0.148, 0.149 and 0.163 females/female/day, respectively. Palpita unionalis can complete its life cycle on all host plants, but ash was relatively less suitable because of the lower reproductive rate of the insects reared on it.