2001 Volume 10 Issue 3 Pages 369-377
A non-pest Sumatran phytophagous lady beetle, Epilachna pytho was reared under laboratory conditions to study survivorship and fertility schedules. The species is found above 600 m from sea level, mainly depending on wild cucurbits such as Trichosanthes tricuspidata, T. ovigera, Gynostemma pentaphyllum, Mukia javanica and rarely occurring in cultivated fields of Sechium edule. The development of the immature stages of E. pytho required 33.6 days. The mean longevity of males ( 94.4 days) was shorter than that of females (106.3 days). The mean length of the pre-reproductive period (25.4 days) was longer than that of the post-reproductive period (3.6 days). Females laid eggs continuously throughout their reproductive period (77.3 days). The average number of eggs produced per female was 609.9. The intrinsic rate of natural increase r was 0.067 per capita per day. These life history traits of E. pytho was similar to E. enneasticta, a non-pest species feeding on Solanaceae and living in high lands. E. pytho exhibited 1) longer immature stages, 2) longer mean length of the pre-reproductive period, 3) lesser fertility and 4) smaller and larger T values than four pest epilachnine species, living at a wide elevational range.
