Determination of populations developments, predators and parasitoids of lepidopterous pest species in the Cruciferae growing areas in Çukurova region and research on biological characteristics and control of Pieris brassicae (L.)

In this study, 158 fields from Cruciferae vegetables were controlled between 2005-2008 in three production seasons and determined that higly wide separated species Spodoptera littoralis Boisd. % 60 and Helicoverpa armigera Hübn. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) % 51.4 in broccoli, Pieris rapae L. % 59.4, Pieris brassicae (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) % 59.4 and Hellula undalis (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) % 64.8 in cauliflower, Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) % 41.7 in red cabbage fields. It was determined that S. littoralis and H. armigera occured the high level populations on cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli, but their population densities were not important on red cabbage.Two larva parasitoids from Braconidae family, one pupa parasitoids from Pteromalidae family (Hymenoptera) and two pupa parasitoids from Tachinidae family (Diptera) were determined as parasitoids of lepidopterous species. One larva parasitoids from Chrysopidae (Neuroptera) was determined as predator.Mean total immature stages of P. brassicae on cabbage at different temperatures in the laboratory conditions were the shorthest at 23.08 days (at 30 ºC), 27.58 days (at 25 ºC), 40.90 days (at 20 ºC) and the longest at 72.05 days (at 15ºC). Mean total immature stages of P. brassicae at different temperatures and different host plants in the laboratory conditions were the shorthest at 23.08 days (at 30 ºC) on cabbage and the longest at 72.08 days (15 ºC) on cauliflower.Key Words: Cruciferae vegetables, lepidopterous species, population dynamics, Pieris brassicae (L.), predators and parasitoids