The rubber tree lacebug, Leptopharsa heveae Drake & Poor, was studied aiming to determine its thermal requirements, biology and the population fluctuation of nymphs and adults in rubber tree, Hevea brasiliensis Müell Arg. Experiments were conducted in climatic chambers at 15°C, 20°C, 25°C, 27°C and 30°C using rubber tree seedlings clone RRIM 600 as host plant. The population fluctuation was obtained by sampling north and south sides of rubber trees clone PB 235, considering leaves of internal and external parts located in the top, middle and basal sections of the trees. The temperature of 15°C was inadequate for the embryonic development of L. heveae. The shortest lacebug pre-oviposition period was observed at the high temperatures of 27°C and 30ºC, however the female fecundity was not altered at the temperature gradient of 20°C to 30ºC. The estimated lower developmental thermal thresholds and thermal constants of the egg and nymphal phases and of the biological cycle were 11.5/141.4, 8.3/234.6 and 9.8°C/370.4 degree-day, respectively. A population peak of adults and nymphs occurred in 30/03/99; another peak of adults was also observed in 04/06/99 and nymphs in 19/10/99. The thermal requirements provided the prevision of thirteen generations of L. heveae from October/1998 to November/1999.
Lacebug; population dynamics; temperature; degree-day; Hevea brasiliensis
