Biology and Demographic Statistics of Planococcus ficus (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) on Grapevine at Different Temperature Regimes

Abstract

Planococcus ficus (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), commonly known as the vine mealybug, is a destructive pest of grapevine that causes significant economic losses through direct feeding, honeydew production, and transmission of plant pathogens. The pest reduces vine vigor, contaminates grape clusters, and negatively affects fruit quality and marketability. Temperature is one of the most important environmental factors influencing the development, reproduction, and population growth of P. ficus. The present study was conducted to investigate the biological characteristics and demographic statistics of P. ficus on grapevine under different temperature regimes. Laboratory experiments were carried out under controlled environmental conditions using several constant temperature treatments to evaluate developmental duration, survival, fecundity, longevity, and reproductive performance of the pest. Age-specific survival and fecundity data were analyzed to estimate demographic parameters including intrinsic rate of increase, finite rate of increase, net reproductive rate, and mean generation time. The results demonstrated that temperature significantly affected the biology and population dynamics of P. ficus. Developmental duration decreased with increasing temperature up to an optimal threshold, while extremely high temperatures negatively affected survival and reproductive performance. The highest fecundity and population growth rates were observed under moderate temperature conditions, indicating favorable environmental conditions for rapid population expansion. Female longevity and reproductive output were also strongly influenced by temperature, contributing to variations in demographic performance across treatments. Life table analysis revealed that P. ficus possesses high reproductive potential under suitable thermal conditions, enabling rapid establishment and population outbreaks in grapevine production systems. The findings highlight the importance of temperature in regulating the population ecology of the vine mealybug and provide valuable information for predicting seasonal population trends. Understanding the demographic responses of P. ficus to temperature can support the development of effective monitoring and integrated pest management strategies for sustainable grapevine protection.