The interaction of temperature and biotype on development of the green peach aphid,Myzus persicae (Sulz.)

Thermal requirements per developmental stage, offspring production, and percent survival of three isolates of the green peach aphid,Myzus persicae (Sulz.), were determined over a range of constant temperatures from 12.4°–29.4°C. Isolates were collected from Pennsylvania, Maine, and Washington State potato producing regions. Offspring produced, survival, and thermal requirements were not different for all three isolates. Offspring production increased from 12.4°–15.6°C and then decreased as temperature increased. Percent survival averaged 78.2% except at 29.4°C where only 26.7% survived to reproduce. Thermal requirements, with 4°C as the lower developmental threshold, were 25.2, 27.1, 30.9, 30.7, 20.4, 74.2, 201.6 and 135.7 degree days, respectively, for instars 1–4, prereproductive adults, reproductive adults, longevity, and generation time. Data were used as the basis for a computer forecast system to predict aphid population development in potato fields.