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The pink stem borer, Sesamia cretica Lederer is considered as the main insect pest of maize and sugarcane worldwide. Reproductive and life table parameters of two populations of S. cretica were studied at 10 constant temperatures ranging from 12 to 36 (±1)°C, 50 ± 10% RH and a photoperiod of 0:24 (L:D) h for the larval stage and 16:8 (L:D) h for the other stages. At 12°C, no eggs hatched and at 15, 35, and 36°C only the incubation period was completed. The longest (135.81 and 156.49 d) and shortest (49.61 and 52.09 d) female life span were observed at 20 and 32°C for the Varamin and Rey populations, respectively. The highest (181.66 and 180.94 eggs/female) and lowest (13.40 and 32.85 eggs/female) total fecundity of the Varamin and Rey populations were found at 20°C and 34°C, respectively. At the same time, these two populations had the highest intrinsic rate of increase (r) (0.0343 and 0.0349 d-1) at 30 and 27°C, respectively. Similarly, both Varamin and Rey populations had the highest finite rate of increase (λ) at 27°C (1.0349 and 1.0355 d-1, respectively). It was found that the geographical populations of S. cretica were different in terms of the life table parameters at the same temperatures, and this issue can affect the results of forecasting studies. Accordingly, it is suggested that in the major corn-growing areas, a comprehensive study should be performed on different pest populations to address their commonalities and differences for future managing programs.

The shield bug, Graphosoma lineatum (Heteroptera, Pentatomidae), harbors extracellular Pantoea‐like symbiont in the enclosed crypts of the midgut. The symbiotic bacteria are essential for normal longevity and fecundity of this insect. In this study, life table analysis was used to assess the biological importance of the gut symbiont in G. lineatum. Considering vertical transmission of the bacterial symbiont through the egg surface contamination, we used surface sterilization of the eggs to remove the symbiont. The symbiont population was decreased in the newborn nymphs hatched from the surface‐sterilized eggs (the aposymbiotic insects), and this reduction imposed strongly negative effects on the insect host. We found significant differences in most life table parameters between the symbiotic insects and the aposymbiotics. The intrinsic rate of increase in the control insects (0.080 ± 0.003 day−1) was higher than the aposymbiotic insects (0.045 ± 0.007 day−1). Also, the net reproductive and gross reproductive rates were decreased in the aposymbiotic insects (i.e., 20.770 ± 8.992 and 65.649 ± 27.654 offspring/individual, respectively), compared with the symbiotic insects (i.e., 115.878 ± 21.624 and 165.692 ± 29.058 offspring/individual, respectively). These results clearly show biological importance of the symbiont in G. lineatum., In this study, life table analysis was used to assess the biological importance of the gut symbiont in the shield bug, Graphosoma lineatum (Heteroptera, Pentatomidae). Surface sterilization of the eggs was used to remove the symbiont. The symbiont population was decreased in the newborn nymphs hatched from the surface‐sterilized eggs (the aposymbiotic insects), and this reduction imposed strongly negative effects on the life history traits of the insect host. We found significant differences in most life table parameters between the symbiotic insects and the aposymbiotics.

Non-contact, cost-efficient, and long-range precision metrology is essential for applications in diverse areas, from 3D sensing and robotics to automated manufacturing, and multiwavelength interferometry is a compelling candidate. Here, we present a new arithmetic approach for multiwavelength phase unwrapping, with the maximum theoretical range and tolerance to measurement noise in phase. We supplement our formulation with a simultaneous phase shifting interferometry setup with a low measured standard deviation of phase, $\sigma _\phi ={2\pi }/{1325}$ . We unwrap the interferometric phases of experiments performed through wavelengths with a greatest common divisor of 25 nm, demonstrate a range equal to their lowest-common-multiple with the precision of a single wavelength interferometer, and reconstruct three-dimensional scenes based on a single-pixel 3D imaging system.

Long-term mass rearing of parasitoids under laboratory conditions may affect their quality. We studied the quality of Habrobracon hebetor (Say) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) reared for more than 20 gen...

This study was conducted to address the effect of different constant temperatures (15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 °C) on the functional response of the parasitoid wasps Diglyphus isaea Walker and Hemiptarsenus zilahisebessi Erdos to different densities of Liriomyza sativae Blanchard (2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64 larvae) under laboratory conditions. The results revealed the Type II functional response for both parasitoids at different temperatures. The highest searching efficiency for D. isaea and H. zilahisebessi occurred at 25 °C (0.926 ± 0.211 h−1) and 30 °C (1.012 ± 0.241 h−1), respectively. In addition, the shortest handling time for D. isaea and H. zilahisebessi were observed at 25 °C (0.063 ± 0.008 h) and 30 °C (0.058 ± 0.008 h), respectively. These results demonstrated that H. zilahisebessi is more efficient at higher temperatures than D. isaea. Both parasitoids had higher parasitism performance when temperature increased (4.67 parasitized hosts/day at 15 °C vs 15.87 parasitized hosts/day at 25 °C for D. isaea and 3.89 parasitized hosts/day at 15 °C vs 17.24 parasitized hosts/day at 30 °C for H. zilahisebessi). In addition, a quadratic regression was found between handling time and temperature as well as between number of the parasitized larvae and temperature in D. isaea and H. zilahisebessi at different densities of L. sativae. This study provided a preliminary information on the parasitic behavior of these parasitoids and that D. isaea and H. zilahisebessi can be used properly beside other non-chemical approaches to manage L. sativae damage at a temperature range of 25–30 °C, respectively.

Knowledge of the impact of acaricides on predatory mites is crucial for integrated pest management (IPM) programs. The sublethal effect of propargite was assessed against the subsequent generation of treated Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot (Acari: Phytoseiidae) fed on Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) under laboratory conditions [26 ± 1 ̊C, 70 ± 3 % RH and 16:8 (L:D) h]. A leaf disc bioassay was employed to assess the sublethal concentrations (LC10, LC20, and LC30) of propargite (Omite® 57% EC, MAHAN, Iran) on A. swirskii. The results revealed that sublethal concentrations of propargite significantly affected the total life span and longevity of the treated females of A. swirskii. Reproductive and total fecundity of the subsequent generation were also affected by sublethal concentrations. All concentrations caused a significant reduction in oviposition days, compared to the control. The intrinsic rates of increase (r) of A. swirskii treated with sublethal concentrations of propargite and distilled water were 0.126, 0.122, 0.115, and 0.129 d-1, respectively. Our findings revealed that propargite had no significant effect on life table parameters of treated mites in comparison to the control. Sublethal effects of propargite and its impact on A. swirskii are discussed.

Trichogramma brassicae (Bezdenko) is an important biological control agent that has been used widely against many lepidopteran pests. Commonly, colonies of Trichogramma are mass reared on factitious hosts such as Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier) over many generations. In this study, we evaluated the quality and performance of a colony of T. brassicae that had been reared for over 45 generations (G) using two-sex life table parameters and parasitism capacity. We found that female adult longevity was significantly different among sequential generations, ranging from 5.58 ± 2.5 d (at G5) to 3.75 ± 1.42 d (at G45). However, no significant difference was found in male adult longevity among different generations. Although female wasps survived longer until the 15th generation, they allocated more days for egg laying at G5 and G10. The highest values of gross reproductive rate (GRR), net reproductive rate (R0 ), intrinsic rate of increase (r), finite rate of increase (λ) and mean generation time (T) were found in G5 and G10, which also showed significantly higher c0 . No significant difference in the finite parasitism rate (ω) was found among generations up to G15. These results suggest that T. brassicae wasps held under continuous laboratory rearing can be used successfully in biological control programs until the 15th generation without any loss of quality or performance. However, laboratory mass rearing colonies declined in quality after 15 generations and we suggest that they should be rejuvenated regularly by adding field-collected parasitoids periodically.

Eotetranychus frosti (McGregor) (Tetranychidae) is a main pest of apple and some fruit trees in Iran. The life table parameters of E. frosti on seven apple cultivars (Red, Golab Kohanz, Gala Imperial, Gala Royal, Fuji, Granny Smith and Golden) at 27±1ºC, 50±10% RH and a photoperiod of 16: 8 (L: D) h were determined. The immature developmental times of E. frosti ranged from 6.50 days on Granny Smith to 18.31 days on Golab Kohanz. The lowest and highest survival rate for whole immature stages was 85.71% and 95.72% on Golab Kohanz and Red, respectively. Fecundity of E. frosti was affected by cultivars; varied from 60.43 eggs on Golab Kohanz to 110.19 eggs on Granny Smith. The intrinsic rate of natural increase (r) varied significantly among different cultivars in which the lowest value (0.119 day-1) was on Golab Kohanz and highest value (0.365 day-1) was on Granny Smith. The mean generation time (T) was shortest on Granny Smith (11.45 days) and longest on Golab Kohanz (30.09 days). According to the results, Granny Smith and Golab Kohanz were susceptible and resistant cultivars, respectively among the ones tested. The findings of this study provide new information that can be used to design a more comprehensive IPM program for this important pest.

We present a detailed study on the n-channel single-gate junctionless transistor (JLT) at the $${10}-\hbox{nm}$$ node. We investigate the influence of its structural parameters on the on-state current and the off-state leakage current. Furthermore, we show that the use of high-k spacers may not be advantageous in future nanoscale junctionless transistors and confirm this argument by simulation. We also present the results of our investigation on process variations, including the sensitivity of the JLT to random dopant fluctuations as well as the gate work function using Monte Carlo simulations. These results are then compared with those of a conventional FinFET. Finally, we provide design guidelines for JLTs at $${10}-\hbox{nm}$$ gate length.

The present study was carried out to unveil interactive relevance among consecutive and alternate members of a tritrophic system comprised of sugar beet genotypes, beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua (Hübner), and its parasitoid, Habrobracon hebetor (Say) using demographic parameters. To do so, H. hebetor was reared on S. exigua fed on 10 sugar beet genotypes, including SB26; SB27; SB29; SB33; SB34; (7112*SB36)*Sh-1-HSF-5; FC220; FC301; SBSI006; and HM 1339RZ in a growth chamber at 25 ± 1 °C, 60 ± 5% RH, and 16:8 (L: D) h photoperiod. The data was analyzed based on the age-stage, two-sex life table theory. Our results revealed high variation in duration of different life stages of H. hebetor on S. exigua reared on different sugar beet genotypes examined. The shortest (10.605 days) and longest (13.721 days) pre-adult period of H. hebetor was on S. exigua reared on SB26 and SB34, respectively. The longest (17.2 days) and shortest adult longevity (7.5 days) was on S. exigua reared on SB26 and SB27, respectively. The highest values of the intrinsic rate of increase (r) (0.209 day−1) and finite rate of increase (λ) (1.233 day−1) were observed on S. exigua reared on SB34 and their lowest values (0.159 and 1.172 day−1, respectively) were recorded on SB27. Resistant and susceptible genotypes to S. exigua, FC301 and (7112*SB36)*Sh-1-HSF-5, respectively, were only genotypes on which H. hebetor had greater and approximately equal r compared with S. exigua. This finding indicates high capability of H. hebetor to be successfully employed against S. exigua on sugar beet genotypes which are extremely different in resistance to this pest.

Using a tight-binding approach and first-principles calculations combined with the nonequilibrium Green’s function method, the thermal spin transport in a zigzag molybdenum disulfide ($$\hbox{MoS}_2$$) nanoribbon in the proximity of a ferromagnetic insulator that induces a local exchange magnetic field in the center of the nanoribbon is investigated. It is found that a pure spin current and perfect spin Seebeck effect with zero charge current can be generated by applying a thermal gradient and local exchange magnetic field without a bias voltage near room temperature. Furthermore, it is shown that this nanoscale device can act as a spin Seebeck diode for the control of thermal and spin information in spin caloritronics applications. Finally, the impact of structural defects including edge and Stone–Wales defects on the spin figure of merit is studied. It is then shown that the spin figure of merit can be higher for a magnetized and defective $$\hbox{MoS}_2$$ nanoribbon. The results of this work facilitate deep understanding of the effects of structural defects on the thermoelectric properties of $$\hbox{MoS}_2$$ nanoribbons and indicate their great potential for use in spin caloritronics devices for operation at room temperature.

This paper aims to study the mechanical behavior of rocks using the cohesive crack model (CCM) and grain-based model (GBM) within the distinct element method (DEM) simulations. In the GBM-DEM, the Voronoi tessellation scheme is used and the intact material is simulated as assemblies of a number of particles bonded together at their contact areas. Implemented CCM defines the nonlinear behavior of the grain interfaces under various modes of loading. Numerical simulation of a tension–compression and direct shear tests is conducted to verify the correct implementation of CCM. Moreover, in the application of such a numerical framework, the uniaxial and biaxial compression tests as well as the Brazilian disc test are simulated in the universal distinct element code using a calibration process and then the results are compared with the relevant responses of the rock sample. Finally, the capability of soft computing method, i.e., artificial neural network (ANN) for predicting macromechanical parameters of rock, i.e., UCS based on input cohesive contact shear strength parameters, i.e., cohesion and friction angle, is explored. Results indicate that the ANN model can be quite accurate predictor of uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) and therefore used as a potential tool to aid in estimating target values.

Non-invasive separation of particles with different sizes and sensitivities has been a challenge and interest for point-of-care diagnostics and personalized treatment. Dielectrophoresis is widely known as a powerful technique to sort the particles and (most importantly to) distinguish cells and monitor their state without the need for biochemical tags. In this paper, a dielectrophoresis-based microchannel design is proposed which allows for continuous particle sorting and separation under the applied AC field. It is also practical to implement the platform for monitoring cell behavior irregularities caused by certain diseases toward diagnosis and treatment. In this regard, the device employs dielectrophoretic (DEP) force exerted on the particles by only two electrodes with oblique arrangement in the channel. The electrodes are arranged with a bevel angle to the fluid flow direction but they are not parallel and therefore a gradually decreasing electric field is achieved along the channel’s width. As a result, the dielectrophoretic force, acting on the particles of different sizes, would also gradually decrease along channels width which renders the necessary distinguishing lateral displacements of particles for separation. Therefore, the particles with different sizes can be sorted in a continuous-flow regime and be received at multiple outlet reservoirs with no need to turn the electric field on/off. The presented device is fabricated and evaluated in the experiment to prove its feasibility. Afterward, using numerical simulations, we investigate the optimum design parameters in the presented device to enhance device efficiency for separating particles with different size ranges.

In this paper, we report on the conductance behavior of the boron and nitrogen doped 8 armchair graphene nanoribbons (8-AGNR) with the four DNA canonical nucleobases by means of density functional theory (DFT) combined with non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF). For any given dopant, all eight possible substitutional sites in the 8-AGNR are examined in an attempt to investigate the effect of the dopant atom in a specific site on the sensitivity of the doped AGNR. Our results indicate that generally Baffects the negative energy portion of the transmission spectrum, while N impacts its positive energy portion. Furthermore, unlike the case for nitrogen dopant, nano-ribbon's conductance is distinctively modulated when B takes certain substitutional sites. We confirm this picture by presenting a comprehensive study on charge transfer between nucleobases and GNR as well as doped GNR confirm that adding dopant slightly changes optimum distance and charge distribution of the system. We find that while incorporation of dopant atom in GNR changes the orbitals at energies near what a nucleobase would do, the result for doped GNR interacting with specified nucleobase is enhanced. We also compare our results to that of other devices on 2D nanoribbons.

Increasing the interest in the silicon-based devices resulted in developing new methods and techniques to achieve advanced and more reliable designs and devices. In this study, we have developed a combination method of photolithography and electron-beam lithography (EBL) in order to maximize the efficiency and reducing time and costs. Nanometric and micrometric patterns were created using EBL and photolithography methods, respectively. In order to prove the sensing applications, the EBL-based fabricated electrodes were successfully designed and tested as a hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) biosensor using horseradish peroxidase (HRP) enzyme on a graphene oxide substrate. Photoresist provided a passive layer which reduced the passivation steps in the fabrication. The interdigitated electrodes were used to maximize the connections with the graphene oxide substrate. The result was an ohmic biosensor that exhibits a linear relationship with the logarithm of H2O2 concentration in the range between 0.1 µM and 100 mM. The limit of detection (LOD) was about 51 nM.

In this paper, we present analytical models which are valid in all regions of operation and can accurately predict the potential profile and the output, as well as the transfer characteristics of the gate-all-around heterojunction tunnel field-effect transistors. Our potential model takes into account the charge carriers in the channel, as well as the space charges in the depletion regions of the two reservoirs. Later, this potential model is utilized to calculate the band-to-band tunneling generation rates at any spatial coordinate in the tunneling volume. Next, these rates are integrated over tunneling volume to find the total tunneling current. This leads to an analytical model for the drain current. We validate our models against the data obtained via numerical simulations for several common heterojunction tunnel devices at various geometries and bias conditions.

Plant-sucking stinkbugs are especially associated with mutualistic gut bacterial symbionts. Here, we explored the symbiotic relationship of a pistachio stinkbug, Acrosternum heegeri Fieber by histological, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), real-time PCR and molecular phylogenetic techniques. Furthermore, the effects of the symbiont on the resting/wandering behaviors of the newborn nymphs, pre-adult survival rates, and stage compositions were investigated. Transmission electron microscopy and real-time PCR analyses showed that a rod-shaped gammaproteobacterium was persistently located within the posterior midgut crypts. Molecular phylogenetic and FISH techniques strongly suggested that this symbiont should be placed in the genus Pantoea of the Enterobacteriales. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed the presence of the bacterial cells on the egg surface which the surface sterilization of the eggs resulted in the successful removal of the symbiont from the eggs. Symbiotic and aposymbiotic A. heegeri showed no significant differences in the wandering behaviors of the first nymphal stages, while the symbiont-free insects suffered retarded growth and lower survivability. Together, the results highlight the habitat and acquisition features of Pantoea symbiont and its contribution in A. heegeri biology that might help us for better pest management in the future.

Interspecific interactions between parasitoid wasps affect the selection of effective biological control agents. In this study, we investigated the effects of extrinsic interspecific interactions between Aphidius matricariae Halifay and Praon volucre (Haliday) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) on the population sizes of each parasitoid on Myzus persicae (Sulzer) on sweet pepper and Aphis gossypii Glover on cucumber, at 25 ± 2 °C, 60 ± 5% RH and a 14:10 h L:D photoperiod. The population dynamics of these parasitoids were also analyzed numerically using the Lotka–Volterra competition model. Interspecific interaction between the two parasitoids had reduced the population size of each parasitoid on both host aphids. The effect of this interspecific interaction b was more pronounced for P. volucre. Without interspecific interactions, the mean population size of P. volucre varied from 85.2 ± 10.70 to 107.1 ± 12.40 numbers on M. persicae and from 187.8 ± 18.4 to 249.8 ± 24.7 numbers on A. gossypii. Under conditions of coexistence with A. matricariae, however, the abundance of P. volucre significantly decreased to 8.92 ± 2.65–17 ± 5.16 numbers on M. persicae and 53.6 ± 19–65.3 ± 25.2 numbers on A. gossypii. Phase diagrams and time trajectories showed that coexistence of these two parasitoids on M. persicae and A. gossypii lasted for just a short period after which the inferior parasitoid population, P. volucre, declined to zero.

The present study first evaluated the sublethal effects of diflovidazin (Flumite®) with three concentrations (LC5, LC10, and LC20) on life table parameters of Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor...

The aim of this study was to investigate the foraging behavior of Aphidius matricariae (Haliday) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) as a biological control agent of Myzus persicae nicotianae Blackman (Hemiptera: Aphididae), a key and cosmopolitan pest of tobacco fields. To achieve a strategy for the control of this pest and a mass-rearing program of the parasitoid, host stage preference, switching, functional response, and mutual interference of A. matricariae were investigated at 25 ± 1°C, 70 ± 5% RH and 16:8 h L:D photoperiod. The parasitoid showed a preference for third- and fourth-instar nymphs of tobacco aphid in both choice and no-choice experiments. Using the Murdach's model, switching behavior was observed in A. matricariae between different density proportions of third- and fourth-instar nymphs. Further, the parasitoid exhibited a type II functional response when it was offered to third-instar nymphs of M. persicae nicotianae at six densities (2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64). Based on the linear regression analysis, there was a significance difference between the logarithm of per capita searching efficiency and the logarithm of parasitoid density. As the wasp density increased, per capita searching efficiency decreased. The result of this study revealed that A. matricariae is an effective agent in the integrated management of M. persicae nicotianae. In addition, application of these results can be important in mass-rearing program of A. matricariae.

Specifying the relationship between pests and their host plants in terms of damage is one of the basic concepts of integrated pest management (IPM) programmes. The crop loss and economic injury level (EIL) of Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) were determined on different tomato cultivars using gain threshold (field experiment) and regression (semi‐field experiment) methods. By assessing the crop loss in 2015 and 2016, four out of seven infested tomato cultivars had a significant yield loss in terms of weight of total fruits versus the control under the open‐field conditions. However, the total number of tomato cultivars had no significant difference to control treatment. The semi‐field experiment included six treatments (0, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 gravid females/plant) and examined two tomato cultivars. The tomato cages with between 6 and 10 gravid females/plant showed the highest number and weight of damaged fruits. Based on pesticide control costs, the market value of tomato and the control efficacy, we determined the EIL for T. absoluta. In the field experiment, the EIL value for T. absoluta on “Petomech,” “Cal JN3,” “Rio Grande” and “Early Urbana Y” cultivars was 4.15, 4.47, 4.70 and 5.04 larvae per plant, respectively. Based on regression equations, we calculated the EIL values for T. absoluta on “Cal JN3” and “Early Urbana Y” to be 4.75 and 5.44 larvae/plant, respectively. Crop loss assessment and EIL are necessary components of cost‐effective IPM programs and can be effective tools for making decisions about the application of pesticides against T. absoluta.

In this paper, fabrication of nanostructures of conducting polypyrrole (PPy) thin films on the surfaces by in situ chemical polymerization in the presence of different anionic dopants including anthraquinone-2-sulfonic acid sodium salt monohydrate/5-sulfosalicylic acid dehydrate (AQSANa/SSCA) and camphor sulfonic acid (CSA) is reported. “Lift-off process” combined with electron beam lithography (EBL) is used for fabrication of nano patterns of conducting PPy thin films down to 100 nm. In addition, the ability to create ordered single PPy nanowires of controlled dimension, with very high aspect ratio, and dendrite free features between Au electrodes for fabricating of field effect transistor (FET) was demonstrated by single wires of PPy-CSA and PPy-(AQSANa,SSCA) with 250 nm widths, up to 12 μm lengths and 100 nm thickness. I–V measurements of both single PPy-CSA (˜ 124 S/cm) and PPy-(AQSANa,SSCA) (˜ 5 S/cm) nanowires indicated Ohmic or space charge limited conduction, depending on the applied bias on the contact electrodes. A considerable modulation in the electrical conductivity of PPy-CSA and PPy-(AQSANa,SSCA) nanowire p-FETs was demonstrated as a result of varying the gate potential. Both PPy-CSA and PPy-(AQSANa,SSCA) nanowire p-FETs provide good performance transistors, nevertheless show different device electrical characteristics due to used different anionic dopants.

While chemical application can control aphid outbreaks, the overuse of insecticides can make aphids more resistant to these insecticides. These effects make strategies such as host plant resistance combined with biological control agents as an important part of alternative control methods. In this study, the performance of the green peach aphid Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and its parasitoid wasp, Diaeretiella rapae (McIntosh) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) were determined on different pepper cultivars (California, Hamedan, Minab, Sabz-Farangi, Sabz-Ghalami, Semnan, Shahroud, and Tehran) in a growth chamber at 25 ± 1 °C, 60 ± 5% RH and a 16:8 h L:D photoperiod. The intrinsic rate of increase (r) of the aphid on the above-mentioned cultivars was 0.3203, 0.3891, 0.3594, 0.3152, 0.3512, 0.3032, 0.3352 and 0.2787 day−1, respectively. Comparison of the intrinsic rate of increase (r) on different pepper cultivars revealed that Hamedan was the most susceptible and Tehran was the most resistant cultivar. The parasitoids reared on the aphids fed on the susceptible cultivar (Hamedan) had a higher intrinsic rate of increase (0.2641 day−1) than those (0.2259 day−1) reared on the resistant cultivar (Tehran). These results demonstrated that the quality of host plant affected the performance of M. persicae and its parasitoid D. rapae.

This paper aims at analyzing the active and passive lateral earth pressures exerted on retaining walls due to the anisotropic medium of dry and noncohesive backfill subjected to the modifi...

The genus Dioctria Meigen, 1803 (Diptera: Asilidae, Dioctriinae) was sampled in northern Iran. The specimens were collected using Malaise traps during 2010–2012. A new species Dioctria faciata Mohammadi, Talebi & Van den Broek sp. nov., is described and illustrated. Dioctria tauricaLehr, 2001 is recorded for the Iranian fauna for the first time. The new species can be distinguished from Dioctria cornutaLehr, 2001 by the following characters: black mystax; face slightly swollen at edge of mouth and larger body (8-9 mm vs 5.8 mm). The number of Dioctria species in Iran is now increased to 17. An updated checklist of Iranian species of the genus Dioctria is provided.

Using non-equilibrium Green’s function method and density functional theory, we study the effect of line structural defects on the electron transport of zigzag molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanoribbons. Here, the various types of non-stoichiometric line defects greatly affect the electron conductance of MoS2 nanoribbons. Although such defects would be lead to the electron scattering, they can increase the transmission of charge carriers by creating new channels. In addition, the presence of S bridge defect in the zigzag MoS2 nanoribbon leads to more the transmission of charge carriers in comparison with the Mo–Mo bond defect. Also, we find that the different atomic orbitals and their bonding structure at the edge affect the electron conductance of MoS2 nanoribbons. Moreover, we calculate the spin-dependent transport of MoS2 nanoribbons and showed that the spin polarization increases at the non-zigzag edges and remains even in the presence of the defect. This study presents a deep understanding of created properties in MoS2 nanoribbons due to the presence of structural defects.

In this work, we report on the design and implementation of a new method for the two dimensional (2D) simulation of rigid spherical particles trajectory which are to be separated in a microfluidics device based on their sizes. The advantages of efficient particle trajectory simulation method (EPTSM) include drastically smaller runtimes as compared with other methods as well as the ability to include particle collisions with channel’s walls and its ability to be extended to 3D simulations. Numerically simulated results were verified using a specifically designed and fabricated deterministic lateral displacement microfluidic device test structure. The method has provided realistic results for the study of multi-particles throughout the entire channel.

Tomato leaf miner (TLM),Tuta absoluta(Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is one of the most destructive tomato pests worldwide. We tested quantity and quality of tomato fruits after simultaneous use of two biological control agents, the predatory mirid bugNesidiocoris tenuis(Reuter) and the egg parasitoidTrichogramma brassicaeBezdenko against TLM. We varied the timing of predator releases (before or after pest establishment) and the number of parasitoids released (ten or 30 females per week per m2). The highest number of fruits per cage, percentage of undamaged fruits, total yield weight, and undamaged yield weight were all obtained with predator-in-first treatments, with or without parasitoid releases. Furthermore, measures of fruit quality were also highest in predator-in-first treatments, including, highest percentage of water, greatest proportional fresh weight of carbohydrates, most lycopene, most β-carotene, most flavonoids, and highest total chlorophyll. Thus, our findings support a predator-in-first augmentation approach for management of TLM.

The adverse effects of excessive application of insecticides is causing a renewed interest to find resistant host plants to insect pest. Herein, we attempted to elucidate the bottom-up effects of five canola cultivars (Elite, SLM046, Star, NSA2, and RGS003), four cabbage cultivars (Glob-Master, Green-Cornet, Red-Rocky and Mikado) and one cauliflower cultivar (S-Mila) on the life table and biological parameters of diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella L., (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae). The age-stage, two-sex life table theory was used to unveil biological differences of P. xylostella on the Brassica genotypes. All experiments were carried out in a laboratory at 25 ± 1 °C, 65 ± 5% and a photoperiod of 16:8 (L: D) hours. The development time of P. xylostella varied from 13.0 days (on Elite) to 17.4 days (on Red-Rocky). The highest and lowest of net reproductive rate (R0) were recorded in NSA2 (27.0 offspring/individual) and Red-Rocky (4.7 offspring/individual), respectively. The intrinsic rate of increase (r) ranged from 0.072 day−1 on Glob-Master to 0.169 day−1 on Star. The mean generation time (T) value varied between 18.1 days on RGS003 to 22.5 days on Red-Rocky. According to the results inferred from biological and demographical parameters studies, Glob-Master and SLM046 were found as the resistant and susceptible cultivars, respectively. Revealing the resistance range of the studied Brassica cultivars and life history traits of P. xylostella on these cultivars provide insight into the eco-friendly control strategies of the pest through decreasing its damage rate and improving the condition for activity of natural enemies.

We report on a first-principles study of the electronic and transport properties of pristine, B-, C-, N-, O-doped blue phosphorene (BlueP) with the adsorption of gas molecules NH3, NO, NO2, CO, and CO2. The adsorption distances, adsorption energies, charge transfer, density of states (DOS), and transmission spectra of these gas molecules on molecules on doped as well as undoped BlueP is systematically investigated in this work. Our calculations show that the adsorption energy of NO and NO2 on pristine BlueP is the largest among the considered gas molecules, suggesting that pristine BlueP is more sensitive to these two gases. The results indicate that the pristine BlueP exhibits a weak sensitivity to NH3 and CO molecules, while B-doped BlueP strongly adsorbs NH3 and CO by way of strong chemical bonds. C-doped BlueP can enhance the sensitivity to NH3 gas molecules. The current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of the sensors are calculated using non-equilibrium the Green’s function (NEGF) formalism. Theses sensors show characteristic responses along both the zigzag and the armchair directions depending on the type of the gas molecules.

Different cultivars of aplant species can affect the foraging and efficiency of natural enemies, both directly through physical and biochemical properties or indirectly through the herbivore's diet. In this study, the parasitism capacity and functional response of Diaeretiella rapae McIntosh were determined on the cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae (L.) reared on susceptible (Opera) and resistant (Okapi) canola cultivars under laboratory conditions at 25 ± 1 °C, 60 ± 5% RH and a16:8 h L:D photoperiod. The parasitoid exhibited Type II and Type III functional responses on the resistant and susceptible cultivars, respectively. The estimated value of searching efficiency (a) was 0.1637 ± 0.1095 h−1 on the resistant cultivar whereas its value was dependent on host density on the susceptible cultivar. The handling times (Th) on the susceptible and resistant canola cultivars were 0.108 ± 0.040 and 0.320 ± 0.048 h, respectively. The net parasitism rate (C0) of the parasitoid wasp varied from 128.09 hosts per parasitoid lifetime on the susceptible to 71.01hosts on the resistant canola cultivar. The transformation rate from host population to parasitoid offspring (Qp) was equal to 1 on both cultivars (C0 = R0). The finite parasitism rate (ω) on the susceptible cultivar (0.819 hosts per parasitoid per day) was significantly higher than that on the resistant one (0.578 hosts per parasitoid per day). In conclusion, canola cultivars affected the performance of D. rapae in controlled small-scale laboratory experiments and compared with the susceptible cultivar, the resistant one had anadverseeffect on the efficiency of the parasitoid.

Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot is a well-known predator that is used for controlling the population of two-spotted spider mites (TSSM), Tetranychus urticae Koch, and greenhouse whitefly (GHWF), Trialeurodes vaporariorum Westwood, in strawberry greenhouses. To find the effective factors that influence the efficiency of this predator, the predation rates of A. swirskii fed on (Ι) TSSM in the presence and absence of the pollen, webbing, and GHWF, as well as on (II) GHWF in the presence and absence of the pollen, and GHWF-produced honeydew were determined. Furthermore, developmental time, fecundity, and population growth rate of this predator under the same conditions were measured. Our results showed that A. swirskii was able to reduce TSSM population, while the spider mite webbing had an adverse effect on the performance of the predator. Therefore, the presence of the predator population at the time of the infestation is crucial to the success of biological control. It can be concluded that the alternative food sources such as pollen and GHWF-produced honeydew play an important role in maintaining the predator population in the absence of pests. Moreover, the results indicate that using the pollen and another pest along with the target pest can promote the predator density. A. swirskii consumed lower numbers of TSSM when concurrently offered with GHWF and/or maize pollen, and lower numbers of GHWF in the presence of pollen. On the other hand, in the presence of alternative food or alternative prey, the fecundity of the predator was much higher.

A novel structure for piezoresistive pressure sensors is proposed. The structure comprises two piezo-resistors, one mounted on a flat diaphragm and the other mounted outside of the diaphragm so that a hairpin-shaped structure is formed. As a result, one of the piezo-resistors will be affected by the input pressure and the other one will not. Also an inverting Operational Amplifier (OP-AMP) amplifier is utilised. The proposed pressure sensor can be designed using both square diaphragm or circular diaphragm and it has the advantage of higher linearity for input pressure range of 1 MPa in comparison with conventional structures. The value of nonlinearity (NL) is decreased from 0.5515% full-scale (FS), for the conventional sensor, to 0.1138% FS (for the proposed sensor with square diaphragm) and 0.0761% FS (for the proposed sensor with circular diaphragm), which shows an improvement in reducing NL about 80% in square diaphragm and about 86% when circular diaphragm is employed. The proposed structure is analysed and simulated using COMSOL multiphysics software.

Alternative foods such as pollen may help predators to maintain their populations even when their prey is scarce or absent. In order to develop an appropriate spider mite management strategy using Neoseiulus californicus McGregor and optimize laboratory rearing, its biological parameters on four types of pollen (cedar, pistachio, pear, and apricot) were determined and compared on Tetranychus urticae Koch. Our results indicated that the developmental times of females and males varied from 6.06 to 7.32, and 6.00 to 7.15 d, respectively. The highest fecundity was obtained on pistachio pollen, followed by apricot pollen and T. urticae. Feeding on cedar pollen caused the lowest fecundity. In contrast to T. urticae and pistachio pollen, which resulted in the highest intrinsic and finite rates of increase, feeding on cedar pollen produced the lowest value. Pistachio and apricot pollen appear to have the highest nutritional value. From an ecological perspective, in the presence of pistachio pollen, a more rapid population increase of N. californicus could be expected, when the prey is scarce or absent in greenhouses or fields. This may provide valuable information for the design of a comprehensive program for conservation and/or mass production of N. californicus to control T. urticae and other pests.

In this paper, we investigate the transmission spectrum, current–voltage ( ${I}$ – ${V}$ ) characteristics and dielectric function of the zigzag MoS2 nanoribbon with and without a uniaxial tensile strain. By considering only the nearest neighbor atoms, we will first calculate the band structure for this material using the tight-binding method. Then, we present the transmission spectrum and the ${I}$ – ${V}$ characteristics by employing nonequilibrium Green’s function formalism in conjunction with the Landauer formula. Due to the presence of edge states, in the zigzag nanoribbons, this material demonstrates a metallic behavior. We also study the aforementioned parameters in the presence of the strain in the range of 10%–20%. Results indicate that applying a tensile strain of the order of 10% opens up a direct gap within the energy bands. This gap increases upon increasing the strain. Furthermore, the current increases with increase in the tensile strain as well as the number of atoms at the ribbon’s edge. Our numerical simulations also predict possible transitions between subbands. Strain intensifies the amplitude of the dielectric function at lower energies. These results can be instrumental for the design of nanoscale photonic devices based on the nanoribbon MoS2.

Using first-principles density functional theory, we investigated the geometrical structure and magnetic, electronic, and transport properties of blue phosphorene doped with a multitude of substitutional impurities, including both metallic and semiconducting elements. Substitutional dopants modified the properties of blue phosphorene. B, Al, Ga, Sb, Bi, and Sc substitutional dopants led to an indirect- to direct-gap transition. Blue phosphorene with C, Si, Ge, Sn, O, S, Se, and Fe substitutional dopant atoms showed dilute magnetic semiconducting properties. Furthermore, the effective mass as well as zero-bias transmission spectrum of this material support the fact that the transport properties of blue phosphorene are modified by the above-mentioned impurity atoms. The effective mass of holes for the Bi- and Sb-doped systems was about $$0.138m_{0}$$ , implying that these systems have high hole mobility. Meanwhile, the Sb-doped system exhibited the smallest effective mass for electrons of $$0.244m_{0}$$ . The results of this study illustrate that doped blue phosphorene exhibits different electronic, magnetic, transport, and optical properties from pristine blue phosphorene, which may enable many useful applications in nanoelectronics, gas sensing, optoelectronics, and spintronics.

The rearing possibility of Typhlodromus bagdasarjani (Phytoseiidae) on three factitious prey (Ephestia kuehniella eggs, cysts of Artemia franciscana and Tyrophagus putrescentiae), and nine artifici...

Date palm hooper is one of the most important pests on date palms with many highly diverged populations varied in damaging rate and preferring host cultivar. Current and potential geographic distribution of date palm hopper, Ommatissus lybicus (de Bergevin; Hemiptera: Tropiduchidae) in Iran was modeled using the Maxent procedure. Point sampling data sets included latitude, longitude, and altitude and were augmented with data on 19 bioclimatic variables retrieved from WorldClim dataset for use as predictor variables in Maxent. Maxent results demonstrated that northwest Sistan-Baluchestan, east, south and southeast Kerman, northeast and northwest Hormozgan and small districts of Bushehr provinces are hot spot habitats for O. lybicus in Iran. Jackknife analysis revealed that precipitation of warmest quarter was the most influential explanatory variable in determining distribution of O. lybiucs in Iran. Moreover, curve response and frequency distribution analyses revealed that annual mean temperature was the most predictive factor of the distribution of O. lybicus. Discontinuity in predicted hot spot habitats of O. lybicus was consistent with the genetic structure recorded for this species. Our study represents valuable information that can inform pest management strategies aimed at preventing population expansion and niche shift.

Nesidiocoris tenuis (Reuter) (Hemiptera: Miridae), a common zoophytophagus bug, is a biological control agent for several groups of noxious agricultural pests, including whiteflies, aphids, and leafminers. To improve mass-rearing of this species and to optimize its application in integrated pest management, nymphal survival and developmental times of this predator were examined at seven constant temperatures ranging from 14 through 34°C. Eggs developed to adulthood at all temperatures tested. Egg-adult developmental time decreased sharply with increasing temperature, except at 34°C (17.21 d), for which developmental time was significantly longer than that obtained at 31°C (15.59 d). The lowest (11.36%) and highest (28.26%) percentage of mortality was found at 28 and 14°C, respectively. To describe the development rate of immature stages of N. tenuis as a function of temperature, two linear and 26 nonlinear models were fitted. The lower temperature threshold (T0) and thermal constant (K) of total immature stages were estimated by the ordinary (10.94°C and 318.37 DD) and Ikemoto (10.28°C and 339.57 DD) linear models. Based on the Akaike information criterion (AIC), Lactin-1, Analytis-1/Allahyari and Janisch/Kontodimas were the best models to describe the temperature-dependent development rate of egg, nymph and whole immature stages of the predator, respectively. Our findings provide information on N. tenuis biology that will improve application of this predator as a biological control agent.

The present study aims at utilizing field effect phenomenon to induce heterogeneous surface charge and consequently changing the fluid flow in a solid state nanochannel with converging-diverging periodicity. It is shown that the proposed geometry causes non-uniform radial field adjacent to channel walls which is stronger around the diverging section and weaker next to the converging part of the wall. The later generates heterogeneous surface charge at channel walls depending on the applied gate potential i.e. applying low gate potential enables effective modulation of surface charge with the same polarity of the intrinsic charge at channel walls, while moderate gate potential causes charge inversion in diverging sections of the channel and generates reverse flow and thus results in fluid flow circulation. The potential application of flow circulation for trapping and rejection of particles is also demonstrated., 6 pages, 8 figures

The two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) is a serious pest of many agricultural crops. Using chemical pesticides is one of the main methods for its management. I...

A back-gated multilayer nanoribbon molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) transistor grown by chemical vapor transport and doped using polyethylene oxide cesium perchlorate is fabricated and characterized. Ions in the polymer dielectric are directed by side gates to the source and drain access regions where they form electric double layers (EDLs) that control the carrier densities. This allows the junctions of the same transistor channel to be reconfigured as an n-MOSFET, p-MOSFET, and as a tunnel field-effect transistors. The EDLs are formed at room temperature and then locked into place by cooling the polymer below the glass transition temperature (~240 K). Transport measurements are presented and explained using simulated band diagrams. Both n and p-conduction in MoS2 is demonstrated using solid polymer ion doping, enabling characterization of a semiconductor in which the doping of the same channel has been reconfigured to form three different transistor configurations.

Biological control agents can be used as a complementary control measure that can be combined with resistant host plants to control pests. In this study, the effects of different canola cultivars (Karaj-1, Karaj-2, Karaj-3, Licord, Okapi, Opera, RGS003, Sarigol, Talaye and Zarfam) on the performance and life table parameters of the cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae, and its parasitoid, Diaeretiella rapae, were determined under laboratory conditions. Total fecundity of the cabbage aphid differed with cultivar, with the highest value (59.41 nymphs per female) of this parameter observed on Opera and the lowest (1.67) observed on RGS003. The highest and lowest intrinsic rates of increase (r) of the cabbage aphid were observed on Opera (0.331 day−1) and RGS003 (− 0.242 day−1) cultivars, respectively, suggesting these to be the most susceptible and most resistant cultivars to this pest. However, because the aphid did not settle and feed well on RGS003, it was not possible to determine demographic parameters for its parasitoid. Consequently, the Okapi cultivar, which was the most resistant cultivar to the cabbage aphid after RGS003, was used in this study to assess the parasitoid wasp. The parasitoid’s intrinsic rate of increase (r) varied from 0.426 day−1 on the susceptible cultivar (Opera) to 0.341 day−1 on the resistant canola cultivar Okapi. Aphid performance decreased 93% on the resistant canola cultivar, while parasitoid performance decreased only 20% on the resistant cultivar compared to more susceptible cultivar.

Among environmental factors, temperature has a direct and crucial influence on the key life processes of survival, development, reproduction, and movement of poikilothermic animals and hence their population dynamics. The lower and upper temperature thresholds and optimal temperature have ramifications for all major life processes, where within a specific range, a temperature change results in a proportional rise or fall of the rate of any given process. There are some basic approaches for modeling development response to temperature in arthropods. The oldest and most widely used model is a simple linear description of arthropod development in relation to temperature. The linear model forms the basis of the well-known thermal summation or degree-day (DD) approach to timing prediction. The second approach for predicting arthropod development rate is nonlinear mathematical models. However, given the fundamental role of thermal models in forecasting and integrated pest management programs, the main purpose of this paper was to facilitate the use of thermal models to estimate the developmental response of arthropods to temperature and select the appropriate model with a view to goodness-of-fit and generalizability by designing a user-friendly software. In this paper, the linear and most common nonlinear thermal models and the main criteria for selecting appropriate models are also reviewed.

Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) systems with large number of active sites exhibit superior capability in detection of low concentration analytes. In this paper, we present theoretical as well as experimental studies on the optical properties of a unique hybrid nanostructure, Ag NPs decorated silicon double nanocones (Si-DNCs) array, which provide high density of hot spots. The Si-DNC array is fabricated by employing electron beam lithography together with plasma etching process. Multipole analysis of the scattering spectra, based on the multipole expansion theory, confirms that the toroidal dipole moment dominates over other electric and magnetic multipole moments in the Si-DNCs array. This response occurs as a result of generating current densities flowing in opposite directions and consequently generating H-field vortexes inside the nanocones. Moreover, SERS applicability of this type of nanostructure is examined. For this purpose, the Si-DNCs array is decorated with Ag nanoparticles (NPs) by means of electroless deposition method. Simulation results indicate that combination of multiple resonances, including LSPR resonance of Ag NPs, longitudinal standing wave resonance of Ag layer and inter-particle interaction in the gap region, result in a significant SERS enhancement. Our experimental results demonstrate that Si-DNC/Ag NPs array substrate provides excellent reproducibility and ultrahigh sensitivity.

In this paper, we report on growth of ZnO nanorods on the surface of gold interdigital electrodes and its implementation as a conductive n-type channel for the fabrication of a liquid-gated field effect transistor. Glucose oxidase was immobilized on the surface of the ZnO nanorods and the fabricated device was used as a four-electrode glucose biosensor. The resistance of the conductive channel was affected by addition of glucose. The applied bias voltage to the gate in the fabricated device affects the channel resistance in the same manner as the increase of enzymatic products during the glucose oxidation. Large effective area, good conductivity, and biocompatibility properties of ZnO nanorods are the key features in this highly sensitive and stable biosensor. Our measurements showed that the threshold voltage of transistor was about 0.75 V. The current increased in the presence of the glucose and exhibited a dynamic linear range with the logarithm of glucose concentration in the range between 0.01 and 5 mM. The detection limit was about 3.8 μM.

Reproductive parameters of Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) on 10 canola cultivars including ‘Sarigol’, ‘Hayula420’, ‘Opera’, ‘SLM046’, ‘Modena’, ‘RGS003’, ‘Zarfam’, ‘Licord’, ‘Talaye’ and ‘Okapi’ were determined at 25 ± 1 °C, 60 ± 5% RH and the photoperiod of 16: 8 (L: D) h. Furthermore, age-specific H. arimgera fecundity data were fitted to both Analytis and Enkegaard models. Different canola cultivars had a significant effect on reproductive parameters of adults. The highest values of gross fecundity and fertility rates were observed on ‘RGS003’ (2141.2 and 1578.1 eggs, respectively). However, the lowest values of these parameters were recorded on ‘Licord’ (1016.2 and 550.1 eggs, respectively). Among different canola cultivars, net fecundity and fertility rates were found to be the highest on ‘Okapi’ (1254.9 and 916.5 eggs, respectively) and the lowest on ‘Talaye’ (334.4 and 300.5 eggs, respectively). The age-specific data of H. armigera fecundity on ‘SLM046’ and ‘Sarigol’ fitted better (had the h...

Tunneling field-effect transistors (TFETs) are gaining attention because of their good scalability and low leakage current. However, they suffer from low on-state current and severe ambipolar conductivity. To address these issues, in this paper, we have proposed a novel junctionless nanowire TFET with induced source side tunneling realized by a hetero-gate-dielectric (HGD JN-TFET). This approach induces a local dip in the conduction band edge at the tunneling junction leading to an abrupt transition between the on and off-states as well as subthreshold swing (SS) as low as 45 mV/dec at low drain voltages. The proposed structure provides Ion of 8.7×10−6 A/µm and Ioff of 1.1×10−11 A/µm. Also, we have shown that the length of high-k gate insulator as well as its dielectric constant can significantly affect the performance and power efficiency of this device.

There are gaps in our understanding of plant responses under different insect phytophagy modes and their subsequent effects on the insect herbivores' performance at late season. Here we compared different types of insect feeding by an aphid, Lipaphis erysimi, and a lepidopteran, Plutella xylostella, and how this affected defensive metabolites in leaves of 2 Brassica species when plants gain maturity. Thiocyanate concentrations after P. xylostella and L. erysimi feeding activities were the same. Total phenolics was higher after the phloem feeder feeding than the folivore activity. The plants compensatory responses (i.e., tolerance) to L. erysimi feeding was significantly higher than the responses to P. xylostella. This study showed that L. erysimi had higher carbon than P. xylostella whereas nitrogen in P. xylostella was 1.42 times that in L. erysimi. Population size of the phloem feeder was not affected by plant species or insect coexistence. However, there was no correlation between plant defensive metabolites and both insects' population size and biomass. This suggests that plant root biomass and tolerance index after different insect herbivory modes are not necessarily unidirectional. Importantly, the interaction between the folivore and the phloem feeder insects is asymmetric and the phloem feeder might be a trickier problem for plants than the folivore. Moreover, as both plants' common and special defenses decreased under interspecific interference, we suggest that specialist insect herbivores can be more challenged in ecosystems in which plants are not involved in interspecific interference.

The use of an artificial diet may represent a step toward more cost-effective rearing of generalist phytoseiid mites. Life table studies were performed to evaluate the nutritional value of ten different artificial diets as an alternative food source for rearing of Neoseiulus californicus McGregor. All experiments were carried out under laboratory conditions, at 25 +/- 1°C, 60 +/- 5% RH and a photoperiod of 16:8 (L:D) h. Most enriched diets reduced the total developmental time of the predator compared to the basic artificial diet (AD1). All enriched artificial diets (except AD10 (diet enriched with multivitamin syrup) and AD5 (diet enriched with serum albumin protein)) increased the total fecundity of N. californicus compared with AD1, and the highest fecundity was observed on the diet supplemented with Ephestia kuehniella Zeller eggs (AD2). The highest intrinsic rate of increase (r) values were observed on the diets enriched with E. kuehniella eggs (AD2), Artemia franciscana Kellogg cysts (AD3) and maize pollen (AD6), whereas the diet enriched with serum albumin protein (AD5) had the lowest value of this parameter. In conclusion, the diets supplemented with arthropod components, as well as with bull sperm or maize pollen all enhanced survival, development and reproduction of N. californicus, and consequently its population growth parameters.