Pertanika Journal of Tropical Agricultural Science
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Pertanika · Universiti Putra Malaysia Press

Pertanika Journal of Tropical Agricultural Science

Official journal of Universiti Putra Malaysia for peer-reviewed research across tropical agriculture and allied agricultural sciences.

e-ISSN 2231-8542 ISSN 1511-3701
Research article

Life Table of Cochlochila bullita Stal (Hemiptera: Tingidae) on Orthosiphon aristatus (Blume) Miq. and Ocimum basilicum L.in Laboratory Conditions

Tan Li Peng, Ahmad Said Sajap, Lee Han Jeen, Lee Seng Hua and Lum Wei Chen

KeywordsBasil, cat's whiskers plant, lace bug, life table parameter, Malaysia, Ocimum tingid
Article content

Abstract

Ocimum tingid, Cochlochila bullita Stål (Hemiptera: Tingidae) is a pest of Lamiaceae plants such as basil, tulsi and coleus. It is now being recorded in Malaysia as a pest of the cat's whiskers plant, Orthosiphon aristatus (Blume) Miq. Nevertheless, apart from its brief biological description, no other information is available. The life table of this pest was studied in laboratory conditions. Development time for C. bullita feeding on O. aristatus was 23.3 ± 0.9 days, which was found to be similar to those feeding on Ocimum basilicum (22.8 ± 0.3 days). Although C. bullita posts a higher mortality rate on O. aristatus than on O.basilicum (52% vs. 37%), the adult longevity of the bugs that feed on O. aristatus (♀: 33.9; ♂: 38.2 days) was found to be significantly higher than those bugs that feed on O.basilicum (♀: 27.2; ♂: 26.0 days). The pre-ovipostion, ovispostion and fecundity of C. bullita were also different between the host plants. The net reproductive rates (R), finite rate of increase (λ) and intrinsic rate of increase (r) were also higher on O. aristatus (10.7504, 1.0690 and 0.0667), although there was an increased in immature survival on O. basilicum (6.0287, 1.0556 and 0.0541). Therefore, it is concluded that O. aristatus is as good as O. basilicum, or the population growth of C. bullita is more favoured as compared to O. basilicum.