the effects of different photoperiods on life table parameters of dried fruit mite carpoglyphus lactis (l.) (acari: carpoglyphidae)

dried fruit mite, carpoglyphus lactis l. not only to being one of the serious and economic pests of some stored products, but also to be used as an alternative prey for commercially mass rearing of predatory mites. in this study, life table parameters of dried fruit mite were examined on baker's yeast under laboratory conditions at three photoperiods including full darkness, full light and 16 : 8 (l : d), 70±5 relative humidity in 30 °c, based on age-stage, two-sex life table theory. eighty eggs with the same age used at the beginning of trials as a cohort group and a fertility life table was constructed by following the cohort until the death of all individuals. the intrinsic rate of increase (r), finite rate of population increase (λ), the generation time (t) and the net reproductive rate (r0) in full darkness were 0.55 day-1, 1.74 day-1, 8.27 day and 100.9 offspring, in full light were 0.43 day-1, 1.54 day-1, 8.8 day and 44.31 offspring and in 16 : 8 (l : d) were 0.5 day-1, 1.65 day-1, 9.04 day and 92.4 offspring, respectively. significant difference was observed between intrinsic rate of increase (r), finite rate of population increase (λ) and the mean generation time (t) in three photoperiods. but no significant difference was observed in net reproductive rate (r0) and gross reproductive rate (grr) for the mentioned photoperiods. the results of this study can be used for optimization in mass rearing c. lactis as alternative hosts for rearing of predatory mites applying this prey.