ABSTRACT
Hypocala andremona (Stoll, 1781) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is the most important pest of persimmon in Brazil. In this research, the biology of this insect was studied on persimmon leaves of the cultivar Fuyu, at temperatures of 18, 22, 26 and 30º C. The thermal requirements were determined and the annual number of generations in the main persimmon growing regions of Brazil was estimated. The duration of the immature stages and of the egg-adult period of H. andremona depended on the temperature. Temperatures of 22 and 26º C were the most adequate for the development of the insects. The thermal threshold of development of H. andremona (Tb) was 7.62, 8.76, 10.96 and 11.03° C. The thermal constants (K) for the egg, larval and pupal stages and for the egg-adult period were 45.80, 383.82, 174.90 and 512.59 GD, respectively, allowing for the completion of 2.9 generations per year in Vacaria, 3.6 in Caxias do Sul, and 6.3 in Montenegro, RS; 3.5 in Joaçaba and 4.0 in Canoinhas, SC; 3.7 in Maringá, 3.8 in Curitiba and 6.7 in Apucarana, PR; 5.7 in Mogi das Cruzes, 6.8 in Bragança Paulista, and 7.1 in Jundiaí, SP; 4.9 in Nova Friburgo and 6.8 in the Serrana region, RJ; and 5.7 in Santa Rita do Sapucaí, MG.
KEY WORDS
Thermal threshold; thermal constant;
Hypocala andremona
; persimmon