author(s)
Mounica D, Krishnayya PV, Srinivasa Rao M, Anil Kumar P and Srinivasa Rao V

abstract
The objective of this study was to examine the life table parameters of maize aphid, Rhopalosiphum maidis (Aphididae: Hemiptera) at elevated and ambient concentrations of CO₂ (550 and 380ppm + 25 ppm, respectively) at six temperatures (20, 25, 27, 30, 33 and 35 °C) for understanding the population dynamics of insect pests. The life table parameters of R. maidis viz., intrinsic rate of increase (r_m), finite rate of increase (λ), net reproductive rate (R_o) and gross reproductive rate (GRR) were increased with increase in temperatures from 20 °C to 27 °C further declining from 30 °C to 35 °C under both ambient and elevated CO₂ conditions. Generation time (T) was reduced with an increase of temperature from 20 °C to 35 °C. The upper temperature threshold for r_m, λ, R_o, GRR and T required 26.6, 30.1, 24.9, 25.0 and 34.6 ^oC under eCO₂ conditions whereas it was 29.8, 30.5, 25.7, 25.4 and 34.9^oC under aCO₂ conditions, respectively. The increased r_m, λ, R_o, GRR and decreased T showed the non-linear relationship and can be used for the status of future insect populations.