Comparison of Developmental Rate Curves Applied to Egg Hatching Data of Entomoscelis americana Brown (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

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Abstract
Hatching of red turnip beetle, Entomoscelis americana Brown, eggs was studied at 13 constant temperatures (5–38.5°C). An average of 90% of the fertile eggs hatched from 10 to 36.5°C, indicating a broad optimal temperature range. The lower threshold and upper limit were near 5 and 38.5°C, respectively. The hatching rate (100 per mean no. h until hatching) was calculated for each temperature, and curves were fitted to the data using eight published equations describing the effect of constant temperatures on developmental rates of various insects. Five criteria are presented and used to evaluate the equations. An asymmetrical normal function satisfied the criteria better than the other equations and accurately described the effect of constant temperature on hatching rate for E. americana. Based on this equation, the maximum hatching rate was estimated to be 5.39% per h ± 0.15 (95% confidence interval) at the optimum temperature, 33.4 ± 0.58°C.