FECUNDITY AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE MULLEIN BUG, CAMPYLOMMA VERBASCI (MEYER) (HETEROPTERA: MIRIDAE)

The mullein bug, Campylomma verbasci (Meyer), was successfully established on eggplant cv. “Black Beauty” using the twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, as a source of prey for early instars. Colony-raised teneral females lived 17.4±0.8 days (mean±SE) at 25°C, and their progeny averaged 6.7±0.6 nymphs per 48-h oviposition period (range 0–36). Fecundity peaked during days 6–10 and declined steadily beyond day 16. Over their lifespans, females produced eggs that hatched into 37.5±8.2 nymphs (range 2–184). Eggs from a 24-h oviposition period required from 7.2±0.1 days at 27°C to 13.0±0.2 days at 20°C for 100% hatch. An estimated developmental threshold of 9.5°C (r2 = 0.50) was obtained using the equation: rate of development = −0.075 + 0.008 (temperature). The frequency distribution of hatch at each of four constant temperatures was unimodal and approximated a normal distribution. Nymphal development at 22°C required 2.8±0.2, 3.8±0.2, 4.0±0.3, 3.9±0.2, and 6.0±0.3 days for instars 1–5, respectively.