Department of Plant Protection, College of Abouraihan, University of Tehran, P.O. Box. 4117, Tehran, Iran.
*Corresponding author: E-mail: kkheradmand@yahoo.com.
1Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture, Razi University, P.O. Box. 67156–85438, Kermanshah, Iran.
The mortality schedule operating on a population can be described succinctly by a life table. The life table and reproductive parameters of red pepper mites (Pediculaster flechtmanni, Wicht) fed on Trichoderma sp. mycelium at three constant temperatures (20, 22 and 25°C) and mould mites (Tyrophagus putrescentiae, Schrank) fed on button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) and oyster mushroom (Pleorotus ostreatus) at 25°C were investigated at laboratory with 70% relative humidity and a photoperiod of 16:8 (L: D) hours. The results showed that P. flechtmanni had the highest gross fecundity and fertility rates at 20°C (277.11 ± 2.86 and 207.67 ± 1.99, respectively), while its highest net fecundity and fertility rates were obtained at 25°C (85.65 ± 1.02 and 83.14 ± 1.31, respectively). The highest mean fertile eggs per day and mean eggs per day were 29. 21 ± 1.36 and 33.21 ± 1.14 when it was reared at 22°C. T. putrescentiae showed higher net and gross fecundity and fertility rates on button mushroom than on oyster mushroom. Its mean fertile eggs per day and mean eggs per day were increased on button mushroom (5.24 ± 0.09 and 5.76 ± 0.10, respectively). The maximum values of life expectancy were obtained at 25°C for P. flechtmanni and T. putrescentiae when it was fed on button mushroom, respectively.
