Ovipositional preference and life history parameters of Lixus incanescens were studied on six sugar beet cultivars: Ardabili, Aras, Persia, Flores, Laetitia and Rosire. In both no-choice and free-choice tests, females of L. incanescens laid fewer eggs on Persia and Laetitia compared with Ardabili, Aras, Flores and Rosire. In performance experiments, the pre-imaginal stages developed slower and
... [Show full abstract] survived lower on Persia and Laetitia than on Ardabili, Aras and Flores. The intrinsic rate of natural increase and the population growth rate were lowest on Persia (r m = 0.126 day−1 and λ = 1.134 day−1) among the tested cultivars. Petiole diameter and length were positively correlated with pre-imaginal survival rate (r 2 = 0.96 and r 2 = 0.98, respectively); therefore, thinner and shorter petioles in Persia and Laetitia led to an increased pre-imaginal mortality. These results suggest that Persia and Laetitia express promising traits that can be an integral component of sugar beet breeding for resistance to L. incanescens.