Abstract

The present study assessed the effects of photoperiod and temperature on the development and survival rate of the predatory insect Eocanthecona furcellata under various photothermal gradients in climate-controlled chambers. The eggs of E. furcellata did not hatch at 15°C and exhibited the lowest hatching rate at 35°C, with only 28.0% and 13.0% hatching rates under long and short photoperiods, respectively. Moreover, the nymphs hatched under the conditions mentioned above did not survive. Linear regression analysis identified 17.7°C as the developmental threshold temperature for eggs, with an effective accumulated temperature of 62.3 °C. The developmental threshold temperature for nymphs was 17.0°C, with an effective accumulated temperature of 167.3 °C. These findings indicate that temperature exerts a significant impact on the developmental rate of E. furcellata during early stages unlike photoperiod. Under both long and short photoperiods, the eggs exhibited high hatching rates, while nymphs demonstrated the highest survival rates at 25°C. Further analysis with the Weibull distribution function showed that the survival rate curves for the insect at the early stages fitted Type I category, indicating that mortality rate increased over time. Thus, we recommend rearing eggs under short photoperiod conditions and nymphs under long photoperiod conditions, maintaining the temperature of the growth chamber at 25°C.