Comparative propensity for dispersal of apterous and alate morphs of three potato-colonizing aphid species

1997 ◽  
Vol 75 (9) ◽  
pp. 1396-1403 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gilles Boiteau

The relative ability of apterous and alate morphs of aphids to disperse from one potato leaflet to another was similar within species. Three species were tested: the buckthorn aphid, Aphis nasturtii Kaltenbach, the potato aphid, Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas), and the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer). The average percentage of aphids moving daily from one leaflet to another never exceeded 2.5% for nymphs of the three species, but reached 45% for the adult winged buckthorn aphid. During the first half of the reproductive period, adult potato aphids were 1.5 times as likely as buckthorn aphids and twice as likely as green peach aphids to relocate daily. In a flight chamber, buckthorn aphids flew 4.5 times longer than green peach or potato aphids. The maiden flights of these summer forms were interrupted by repeated landings lasting less than 2 min. The maiden flights were interrupted more than twice as often for the buckthorn aphid as for the potato aphid. The number of flight interruptions was intermediate for the green peach aphid. Selected dispersal parameters for these aphid species are compared with those for the black bean aphid, Aphis fabae Scopoli, an occasional potato-colonizing species. The percentage of green peach and potato aphids taking flight was significantly correlated with the temperature in the flight chamber. The implication of these results for the distribution of aphid populations and the epidemiology of viral diseases is discussed.

1990 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. 694-698 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yvan Pelletier

Twenty-five colors were evaluated for their effect on the initiation of probing behavior in the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer), and the potato aphid, Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas). The proportion of aphids of both species initiating probing behavior was maximum on green, yellow, or orange and lowest on purple, blue, white, or black. The time taken by individual aphids to begin probing was shorter for M. persicae than for M. euphorbiae but was essentially unaffected by colors. A larger proportion of both aphid species probed on the lower surface of potato (var. Kathadin) leaflet compared with the upper surface. The proportion of aphids initiating probing was the same on the lower surface of a potato leaf and on paper similar in color, indicating that the color of the substratum is determinant in the initiation of feeding for those aphids.


1997 ◽  
Vol 129 (2) ◽  
pp. 241-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Boiteau ◽  
W.P.L. Osborn

AbstractAdult potato aphids, Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas), caged on potato terminal leaflets treated systemically with imidacloprid solutions ranging between 5.4 × 10−4 and 5.4 × 10−8 mL per mL water showed a significant reduction in the distance they travelled, time taken to travel a given distance, and flight propensity but no significant differences in the frequency or duration of short probing behaviour. The frequency of adult apterous potato aphids colonizing untreated potato leaflets or leaflets treated with an imidacloprid solution (5.4 × 10−4 mL per mL water) was not significantly different, indicating no repellency. Potato aphids moving from systemically treated to untreated leaflets did not recover much and their reduced walking ability was maintained for days. A 3-day exposure to vapour from an imidacloprid solution (5.4 × 10−4 mL per mL water) did not produce significant mortality or changes in nymphal production. The daily cumulative mortality obtained by caging potato aphids on potato leaflets placed in an imidacloprid solution (5.4 × 10−7 mL per mL water) was similar to that obtained in the field, on 20-day-old plants treated at planting with imidacloprid applied at 0.02 g Ai/m. None of the rates of imidacloprid tested stimulated the dispersal of apterous or alate potato aphids.


2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (8) ◽  
pp. 977-986 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Augusto Avila ◽  
Lirio Milenka Arevalo-Soliz ◽  
Argelia Lorence ◽  
Fiona L. Goggin

Plant α-dioxygenases (α-DOX) are fatty acid–hydroperoxidases that contribute to the synthesis of oxylipins, a diverse group of compounds primarily generated through oxidation of linoleic (LA) and linolenic acid (LNA). Oxylipins are implicated in plant signaling against biotic and abiotic stresses. We report here that the potato aphid (Macrosiphum euphorbiae) induces Slα-DOX1 but not Slα-DOX2 expression in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). Slα-DOX1 upregulation by aphids does not require either jasmonic acid (JA) or salicylic acid (SA) accumulation, since tomato mutants deficient in JA (spr2, acx1) or SA accumulation (NahG) still show Slα-DOX1 induction. Virus-induced gene silencing of Slα-DOX1 enhanced aphid population growth in wild-type (WT) plants, revealing that Slα-DOX1 contributes to basal resistance to aphids. Moreover, an even higher percent increase in aphid numbers occurred when Slα-DOX1 was silenced in spr2, a mutant line characterized by elevated LA levels, decreased LNA, and enhanced aphid resistance as compared with WT. These results suggest that aphid reproduction is influenced by oxylipins synthesized from LA by Slα-DOX1. In agreement with our experiments in tomato, two independent α-dox1 T-DNA insertion mutant lines in Arabidopsis thaliana also showed increased susceptibility to the green peach aphid (Myzus persicae), indicating that the role α-DOX is conserved in other plant-aphid interactions.


1993 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 370-375 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. P. Guillebeau ◽  
J. N. All ◽  
F. W. Nutter ◽  
C. Kuhn

Aqueous solutions of rubidium chloride, RbCl, (10 g/1, 10,000 ppm) were applied to foliage or soil of potted bell pepper and tomato. After 48 h, green peach aphid (Myzus persicae Sulzer) and potato aphid (Macrosiphum euphorbiae Thomas) were transferred to pepper and tomato, respectively. Leaf and aphid samples were collected after 6 d; remaining aphids were transferred to untreated plants. Aphid samples were collected periodically for 5 to 7 d. All samples were analyzed for Rb content. Results were similar for the pepper and tomato experiments. Soil-drench treatment produced significantly greater levels of Rb in leaf and initial aphid samples relative to foliar treatment. Levels of Rb in aphids from the two treatments were comparable after aphids fed on untreated plants for 24 h. Levels of Rb in aphids declined rapidly after removal from the source: undetectable by Day 6 in the potato experiment and reduced by nearly 90% by Day 5 in the tomato experiment. Foliar application of RbCl solution should be used in field situations. Application is more precise, and the length of detection is comparable with soil drench. Additionally, soil drenching with Rb produced an initially high peak of Rb in the aphids, which may have a physiological effect.


2013 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 353-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Radoslav Andreev ◽  
Donka Rasheva ◽  
Hristina Kutinkova

Abstract In a 2006-2008 study, seven aphid species (Hemiptera: Aphididae) were detected on apple trees in South Bulgaria: Rhopalosiphum insertum Walk. (apple-grass aphid), Dysaphis plantaginea Pass (rosy apple aphid), Dysaphis devecta Walker (rosy leaf-curling aphid), Macrosiphum euphorbiae Thomas (potato aphid), Aphis pomi De Geer (green apple aphid), Aphis spiraecola Patch. (spiraea aphid/green citrus aphid) and Eriosoma lanigerum Nausm. (wooly apple aphid). The dominant species were D. plantaginea, found in 97.8% of the surveyed orchards. Two green aphid species from the genus Aphis were both found in 96.4% of the orchards. The rosy apple aphid was a more important pest of bearing orchards, where infestation in spring always exceeded the economic injury level (1-2% of infested shoots). The green aphids were more important in young orchards and nurseries, where they developed during the entire vegetation period and infestation sometimes exceed 50-80% of shoots. A. pomi was still more widespread, but A. spiraecola was found throughout all of South Bulgaria. As pests of apple, the other species were less common, causing lower infestations and minor economic importance.


2011 ◽  
Vol 143 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Lamb ◽  
Patricia A. MacKay ◽  
Andrei Alyokhin

AbstractAbundance, persistence, and variability of populations of Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas), Myzus persicae (Sulzer), and Aphis nasturtii Kaltenbach (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in potato plots for intervals of 58 years (n = 1), 29 years (n = 2), 19–20 years (n = 3), and 9–10 years (n = 6) were compared. The abundance of M. euphorbiae showed no trend among decades and varied 2.4-fold, whereas that of M. persicae and A. nasturtii declined and showed 54-fold and 3700-fold variation, respectively. All three aphid species persisted through the first five decades and M. euphorbiae also persisted through the sixth (last) decade, but M. persicae and A. nasturtii failed to persist for 1 and 3 years of the last decade, respectively. Population variability (a proportion between 0 and 1) measured over a 58-year interval was high: 0.585 for M. euphorbiae, 0.771 for M. persicae, and 0.830 for A. nasturtii. During the first three but not the last three decades, population variability increased with sampling interval, owing to dramatic declines in abundance for M. persicae and A. nasturtii and one stable decade for M. euphorbiae, but no evidence of a more-time — more-variation effect was detected. Persistence was not related to population variability, but declined with abundance. Populations did not reach equilibrium, because of declining abundance for M. persicae and A. nasturtii and changes in population variability from decade to decade for M. euphorbiae. Populations of M. persicae and A. nasturtii from this crop monoculture were less stable than previously studied natural populations of a native aphid species. In contrast, the population of M. euphorbiae, a native species, had variability in a potato crop similar to that of the previously studied native species. The high population variability of M. persicae and A. nasturtii may be associated with their status as introduced species. The dynamic and species-specific characteristics of population variability require that interspecific comparisons be considered cautiously.


1984 ◽  
Vol 116 (8) ◽  
pp. 1069-1075 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory P. Walker ◽  
Laurence V. Madden ◽  
Donald E. Simonet

AbstractSpatial dispersion of potato aphids was studied in fields of processing-tomatoes for 2 years to develop a sequential sampling scheme for the aphid. Potato aphids were found on upper, middle, and lower leaf strata in the percentages 60, 31, and 8. Dispersion was clumped, apterates more so than alates. Among-plant variance was generally greater than within-plant variance. There was a good linear relationship between mean crowding and the population mean and an excellent linear fit between log variance and log mean on all leaf strata for green and pink forms of the aphid and for alates and apterates. The log variance – log mean relationship was used as a basis for sequential sampling.


1987 ◽  
Vol 77 (4) ◽  
pp. 617-628 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. A. Thornhill ◽  
G. D. Heathcote

AbstractThe populations of the most common aphid species on sugarbeet, and their principal predators, were monitored on insecticide-free study areas of the crop in south-eastern England in 1978–81. The peak populations of Myzus persicae (Sulzer) varied considerably in size from year to year and were related to the severity of the previous winter. Those of Aphis fabae fabae Scopoli, which occurred slightly later in the season, also varied greatly in size but were not strongly linked to winter temperatures. The sizes of the peak populations of Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas) were similar each year. The annual variation in the level of infection by virus yellows reflected the peak populations of Myzus persicae and not those of the other aphid species. Coccinellids first appeared in the sugarbeet each year in mid-late June, as the aphid populations were developing, and their peak populations did not vary greatly from year to year. Syrphid larvae appeared later in the season than coccinellids, and their numbers seemed closely linked to those of A. f. fabae. Anystid mites were observed on most count dates in all years. The implications of the findings of the study for control of aphids and virus yellows are discussed.


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 67
Author(s):  
D.P. Lykouressis

The potato aphid, Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas), is a highly polyphagous species on secondary hosts feeding on over 200 plant species, but is especially found on Solanum tuberosum L. M.euphorhiae was first noticed on cotton (cv Zeta 2) at Thiva in central Greece in May 1988 during a study on the population dynamics of cotton aphids carried out in a cotton field in the above mentioned region. This species has been recorded on other host-plants in Greece. It resembles Acyrthosiphon gossvpii Mordvilko, a species which also colonizes cotton but has not been recorded yet in Greece. They can be distinguished from each other since the former has shorter siphunculi, hearing a zone of polygonal reticulation on their apices, than the latter. Moreover, it is easily distinguishable from Aphis gossypii Glover, Aphis fabae Scopoli and Aphis craccivora Koch, species which also colonize cotton. A. gossypii is the most important aphid species attacking cotton at Thiva region and has also been recorded previously on cotton by various authors. The species A. fabae and A. craccivora have also been recorded on cotton in Greece. M. euphorbiae was found in the first three samplings that occurred between mid and the end of May when plants were young. From early June and during the rest of the growing season this species was not found in the field. In a total of about 50 plants sampled in each sampling only a few individuals were found. The majority of aphids were alatae, representing 69, 60 and 43 percent of the population at the first. second and third sampling dates, respectively. Alatae started to reproduce on the plants after their alightment, since first and second instar nymphs were present even from the first sampli­ng which took place after the appearance of plants. However, the number of nymphs was kept low during the period M. euphorbiae was present, suggesting that this was possiblydue either to the partial unsuitability of the cotton variety as host or to the effect of the systemic insecticide, phorate which had been applied at sowing, but this needs further investigation. This species was found again in low numbers in another cotton field at Thiva region, from mid May to early June of 1989. The fact that this species was not found from early June onwards in both years reveals that cotton is only a temporary secondary host-plant, possibly not very suitable for aphid development and reproduction. However, cotton may play some role on the population dynamics of M. euphorbiae on subsequent crops and mainly on potatoes, a crop which is widely planted at Thiva region. This might be of particular con­cern because M. euphorbiae is a vector of several viruses.


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