Influence of temperature on the survival and development of cowpea aphid, aphis craccivora (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

Aphis craccivora Koch, an economically important aphid pest of groundnut and cowpea, was studied to bring out the influence of six temperature regimes ranging from 10 to 35±1oC with increments of 5oC on the survival and development. The duration (d) of development was observed decreasing with the increase in temperature, and it was maximum of 25.1 days at 10oC and minimum of 4.2 days at 30oC; thereafter slight increase to 4.7 days at 35oC was observed. The lowest in the developmental threshold (T0) was at 7.5oC, while the thermal requirement for development (K) at this temperature was calculated as 114.9 degree-days. The survival of A. craccivora nymphs was lower at both the extremes of temperature. The highest survival of 100% was recorded at 25oC.