Population Growth of Rhopalosiphum padi L. (Homoptera: Aphididae) on Different Cereal Crops from the Semiarid Pampas of Argentina under Laboratory Conditions

the bird cherry-oat aphid rhopalosiphum padi l. (homoptera: aphididae) is one of the main pests in a number of crops in the semiarid pampas of argentina. in the present study, the effect of different host plants, including triticum aestivum l., ×triticosecale wittm., hordeum vulgare l., hordeum distichum l., avena sativa l., and secale cereale l. on biological parameters of r. padi l. was studied in the laboratory at 24 ± 1 °c, 65 ± 10% rh and a 14:10 photoperiod. longevity, intrinsic rate of natural increase (rm), net reproductive rate (r0), mean generation time (t), doubling time (dt), and finite rate of increase (λ) of the bird cherry-oat aphid on the different cereal crops were estimated. differences in fertility life table parameters of r. padi among host plants were analyzed using pseudo-values, which were produced by jackknife re-sampling. results indicated that beer barley might be the most suitable food for r. padi due to greater adult longevity (20.88 d), higher fecundity (41 nymphs female-1), higher intrinsic rate of natural increase (0.309 females female-1 d-1), lower doubling time (2.24), and lower nymphal mortality (22.2%). therefore, it can be concluded from the present study that r. padi prefers beer barley for fast and healthy development over other cereal crops.