Life history parameters of Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) at different environmental conditions on two bean cultivars.

Life-history parameters of the greenhouse whitefly Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood), an important pest of bean crops in Colombia, were determined in environmental control chambers on two dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) cultivars (cv.). Trialeurodes vaporariorum longevity on cv. Chocho decreased as temperature increased from 22.6 d at 19 degrees C to 5.9 d at 26 degrees C. Fecundity was significantly lower at 19 degrees C (8.6 eggs/female), as compared to 22 degrees C (32.6 eggs/female) and 26 degrees C (33.3 eggs/female) on cv. Chocho. Fecundity on cv. ICA-Pijao was much higher (127.2 eggs/female) than on cv. Chocho (32.6 eggs/female) at 19 degrees C. The intrinsic rate of population increase (r m) was highest at 22 degrees C (0.061), intermediate at 19 degrees C (0.044) and lowest at 26 degrees C (0.035) on cv. Chocho, and was 0.072 on cv. ICA-Pijao at 19 degrees C. Life history parameters of T. vaporariorum are compared to those of one of its natural enemies, the parasitoid Amitus fuscipennis MacGown & Nebeker. Finally, data are presented on the distribution of the parasitoid related to the altitude for the Valle del Cauca, Colombia.