STUDIES ON THE BIONOMICS AND LOCAL DISTRIBUTION W OF SOME LACE BUGS ROTORCH IN THAILAND. IV. <I>MONOSTEIRA MINUTULA</I> MONTD. (HEMIPTERA: TINGIDAE)

Abstract

Monosteira minutula Montd. can be found in all parts of Thailand where the jujube, Zizyphus mauritiana Lam. is grown. Both nymphs and adults fed by sucking the cell sap from the underside of jujube leaves. Infested leaves appeared with a white dots scattered over the upper surface of leaves.

M. minutula was reared on jujube young leaves under variable temperature of 31 - 34 °C. The results revealed that eggs are implanted into the veins of the leaves underside, the opercular rim lies at the oviposition surfaces. The egg incubation period was 8.18 + 0.11 days. There were five nymphal instars and molting five times. The durations of the first to fifth nymphel instars were 2.12 + 0.05,1.87 + 0.04, 1.40 + 0.04, 1.94 + 0.11 and 2.91 + 0.12 days, respectively. The whole life cycle had a mean of 18.42 + 0.22 days. Mean total eggs per female oviposited in jujube leaf was 185.33 and mean female longevity 57.33 as well as male 66.13 days, respectively.