Showing papers on "Aphid published in 2000"
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TL;DR: Using the olfactory system of the lettuce aphid to investigate volatiles from plants avoided by this insect, (Z)-jasmone was found to be electrophysiologically active and also to be repellent in laboratory choice tests.
Abstract: cis-Jasmone, or (Z)-jasmone, is well known as a component of plant volatiles, and its release can be induced by damage, for example during insect herbivory. Using the olfactory system of the lettuce aphid to investigate volatiles from plants avoided by this insect, (Z)-jasmone was found to be electrophysiologically active and also to be repellent in laboratory choice tests. In field studies, repellency from traps was demonstrated for the damson-hop aphid, and with cereal aphids numbers were reduced in plots of winter wheat treated with (Z)-jasmone. In contrast, attractant activity was found in laboratory and wind tunnel tests for insects acting antagonistically to aphids, namely the seven-spot ladybird and an aphid parasitoid. When applied in the vapor phase to intact bean plants, (Z)-jasmone induced the production of volatile compounds, including the monoterpene (E)-β-ocimene, which affect plant defense, for example by stimulating the activity of parasitic insects. These plants were more attractive to the aphid parasitoid in the wind tunnel when tested 48 h after exposure to (Z)-jasmone had ceased. This possible signaling role of (Z)-jasmone is qualitatively different from that of the biosynthetically related methyl jasmonate and gives a long-lasting effect after removal of the stimulus. Differential display was used to compare mRNA populations in bean leaves exposed to the vapor of (Z)-jasmone and methyl jasmonate. One differentially displayed fragment was cloned and shown by Northern blotting to be up-regulated in leaf tissue by (Z)-jasmone. This sequence was identified by homology as being derived from a gene encoding an α-tubulin isoform.
424 citations
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TL;DR: Alate production in pea aphids was significantly increased in large populations of two PASS‐ and PAR‐positive subclones relative to their parent clones, and this ameliorative effect of facultative bacteria at 25 °C was not found for two other sets of parent clones and their derived sub clones.
Abstract: The effects of two bacterial endosymbionts, designated PASS and PAR, were evaluated on the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris) (Hemiptera:Aphididae), in which they occur facultatively, and on the blue alfalfa aphid, A. kondoi Shinji, in which these bacteria have not been found in natural populations. Subclones of pea aphids and blue alfalfa aphids, derived from parent aphid clones that did not contain PASS or PAR, were infected with one or both bacteria, generating PASS- and/or PAR-positive subclones with minimal genetic differences from the parent clones. Under laboratory conditions at 20 °C, PAR consistently reduced the fecundity (by between 19 and 60%) of subclones derived from three different parent pea aphid clones on bur clover, Medicago hispida Gaertn. PAR had intermediate effects on pea aphids reared on sweet pea, Lathyrus odoratus L., and had no significant effect on pea aphids on alfalfa, Medicago sativa L. The effect of PASS was either neutral or negative, depending on parent clone as well as host plant. Also at 20 °C, PASS reduced fecundity (70–77%) and longevity (40–48%), and increased the age of first reproduction (by up to 1.5 days) of blue alfalfa aphid reared on alfalfa and clover. PAR had a less dramatic effect (e.g., 30–39% reduction in fecundity) on these traits of blue alfalfa aphid. In contrast, PAR and PASS increased the fitness of pea aphid subclones of one parent clone reared for three generations at 25 °C on each of the three test plants. Without facultative bacteria, fecundity of the parent clone was reduced to a mean total of 35. However, this ameliorative effect of facultative bacteria at 25 °C was not found for two other sets of parent clones and their derived subclones. Alate production in pea aphids was significantly increased in large populations of two PASS- and PAR-positive subclones relative to their parent clones. Attempts to transmit PASS or PAR horizontally, i.e., from aphid to aphid via feeding on host plants (bur clover), were unsuccessful.
278 citations
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TL;DR: Analysis of phylogenies of Buchnera and Uroleucon supports the interpretation that symbionts and aphids have undergone strict cospeciation, with no horizontal transmission of symbiotic bacteria even among closely related, ecologically similar aphid hosts.
Abstract: Previous studies of phylogenetic congruence between aphids and their symbiotic bacteria (Buchnera) sup- ported long-term vertical transmission of symbionts. However, those studies were based on distantly related aphids and would not have revealed horizontal transfer of symbionts among closely related hosts. Aphid species of the genus Uroleucon are closely related phylogenetically and overlap in geographic ranges, habitats, and parasitoids. To examine support for congruence of phylogenies of Buchnera and Uroleucon, sequences from four mitochondrial, one nuclear, and one endosymbiont gene (trpB) were obtained. Congruence of phylogenies based on pooled aphid genes with phylogenies based on trpB was highly significant: Most nodes resolved by trpB corresponded to nodes resolved by the pooled aphid genes. Furthermore, no nodes were both inconsistent between the trees and strongly supported in both trees. Two kinds of analyses testing the null hypothesis of perfect congruence between pairwise combinations of datasets and tree topologies were performed: the Kishino-Hasegawa test and the likelihood-ratio test. Both tests indicated significant disagreement among most pairwise combinations of mitochondrial, nuclear, and symbiont datasets. Because rampant recombination among mitochondrial genomes of different aphid species is unlikely, inaccurate assumptions in the evolutionary models underlying these tests appear to be causing the hypothesis of a shared history to be incorrectly rejected. Moreover, trpB was more consistent with the aphid genes as a set than any single aphid gene was with the others, suggesting that the symbionts show the same phylogeny as the aphids. Overall, analyses support the interpretation that symbionts and aphids have undergone strict cospeciation, with no horizontal transmission of symbionts even among closely related, ecologically similar aphid hosts.
249 citations
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TL;DR: Three aphid species were compared with respect to ability of enhancing the nutritional quality of their host plants and changes in the phloem induced by both S. graminum and D. noxia are expected to affect the aphids' dependence on nutritional supplementation by intracellular symbionts (Buchnera).
241 citations
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TL;DR: It is concluded that intraguild interactions have a primary effect in driving fluctuations in aphid parasitoid populations and can substantially alter the effectiveness of aphid Parasitoids as biological‐control agents.
Abstract: We reviewed the literature on aphid parasitoids to determine the occurrence, nature and outcome of intraguild interactions. Intraguild interactions were described for larval, pupal and adult aphid parasitoids and by the type of natural enemy (fungus, predator, or parasitoid). They appear to be prevalent in most aphid parasitoid systems and, except for parasitoid-parasitoid interactions, they are mostly asymmetric, with aphidophagous predators and pathogens killing parasitoids. The limited experimental evidence from field studies is insufficient to provide a comprehensive pattern of the consequences of intraguild interactions for aphid parasitoid populations in general and, more specifically, for the efficacy of biological control. However, because intraguild interactions are widespread in aphid-natural enemy communities and mostly detrimental to aphid parasitoids, we conclude that intraguild interactions have a primary effect in driving fluctuations in aphid parasitoid populations. Drawing on case studies, we further argue that intraguild interactions can substantially alter the effectiveness of aphid parasitoids as biological-control agents.
225 citations
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TL;DR: PCR is superior to monoclonal antibody technology, giving comparable detectability half‐lives with lower expense, much shorter development times, and greater certainty of a successful outcome, for species‐specific predator gut analysis.
Abstract: We describe polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers for gut analysis of aphid predators. The primers amplify aphid mitochondrial COII fragments ranging in size from 77 to 386 bp. Using these primers, we were able to distinguish six species of US Great Plains cereal aphids, including two congeners, Rhopalosiphum maidis (Fitch) and R. padi (L.), and to detect them in extracts of coccinellid and chrysopid predators. We devised a protocol for deriving half-lives of detectability for the DNA of a single aphid consumed by predators maintained under simulated field dietary and temperature conditions. Using this protocol and primers that amplify a 198-bp fragment, we determined statistically different half-lives of detectability for a single R. maidis of 3.95 h in Chrysoperla plorabunda (Fitch) and 8. 78 h in Hippodamia convergens Guerin. The detectability half-life for a 339-bp R. maidis fragment was statistically longer in C. plorabunda but not in H. convergens. The sensitivity of the assay for the 198-bp fragment is 10-7 aphid equivalents. For species-specific predator gut analysis, PCR is superior to monoclonal antibody technology, giving comparable detectability half-lives with lower expense, much shorter development times, and greater certainty of a successful outcome.
223 citations
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TL;DR: The strong dependence of aphid fitness on the level of ant tending shows that ants can influence aphid life history traits even when aphids occur singly on plants.
Abstract: The relationship between homopterans and ants is generally thought to be mutualistic, as both partners seem to benefit from an association. In aphids, previous studies have shown that ant tending improves the survival and reproduction of aphid colonies, mainly by protection of aphids from enemy attack. However, the effects of ant tending on the fitness of individual aphids have rarely been addressed. We investigated the effects of ant tending on life history traits of aphids feeding singly on a host plant, in the absence of natural enemies. A factorial design allowed us to control for variation in the level of tending effort among individual ant colonies. The presence of workers of the ant Lasius niger had a strong positive effect on the fitness of individuals of the aphid Metopeurum fuscoviride. Ant-tended individuals lived longer, matured earlier, had a higher rate of re- production, and a higher expected number of offspring than aphids not tended by ants. An aphid's longevity was significantly correlated with the daily mean number of workers tending it. The strong dependence of aphid fitness on the level of ant tending shows that ants can influence aphid life history traits even when aphids occur singly on plants.
162 citations
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TL;DR: The causal agent, Sugarcane yellow leaf virus (ScYLV), is a Polerovirus of the Luteoviridae family and was transmitted by the sugarcane aphid, Melanaphis sacchari, and also by the corn leaf aphids, Rhopalosiphum maidis, and the rice root aphid.
Abstract: Sugarcane, Saccharum spp hybrid, is widely infected in the United States and many other countries with a yellowing and stunting disease called sugarcane yellow leaf syndrome The causal agent, Sugarcane yellow leaf virus (ScYLV), is a Polerovirus of the Luteoviridae family In this study, it was transmitted by the sugarcane aphid, Melanaphis sacchari, and also by the corn leaf aphid, Rhopalosiphum maidis, and the rice root aphid, R rufiabdominalis Two other aphids that infest sugarcane in Hawaii did not transmit the virus Some Hawaiian sugarcane cultivars are susceptible to ScYLV, while others remain virus-free in the field The latter were not infected when inoculated with viruliferous M sacchari Virus-free plants of susceptible cultivars were produced through apical meristem culture and were readily reinfected by viruliferous M sacchari They were also quickly reinfected when planted in a field in proximity to other infected sugarcane naturally infested with M sacchari Sugarcane cultivars are hybrids of several Saccharum species In a field-grown collection of Saccharum and related species, 11 to 71% of the clones of four of the species were infected with ScYLV None of the related genus Erianthus plants were infected, but four clones were infected experimentally by aphid inoculation A low to moderate percentage of corn, rice, and sorghum seedlings became infected when inoculated with ScYLV, but barley, oats, and wheat proved to be very susceptible None of seven weeds common in sugarcane fields were infected with ScYLV
150 citations
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TL;DR: It is hypothesized that ant-attended aphids are under intense selective pressures that act against aphid clones which fail to attract many ants, so that aphids have developed an adaptive mechanism to allocate a larger fraction of resources to the honeydew when they are requested to do so by the ants in order to ensure the ants' consistent visitation.
Abstract: The defensive effects of ants against aphid predators have been well documented in the mutualistic relationship of aphids and their attending ants. However, it is not clear whether ant attendance has any direct effect on the aphids' growth and reproduction. Through field experiments, this study evaluates the benefits and, in particular, the costs of ant attendance to aphid colonies, focusing on the drepanosiphid aphid Tuberculatus quercicola which is associated with the Daimyo oak, Quercus dentata, and which is always attended by the red wood ant Formica yessensis. Ant attendance was clearly beneficial to the aphid; the exclusion of ants led to a significant increase in the extinction rate of aphid colonies. However, MANOVA and randomized block ANOVA indicated that in colonies continuously attended by ants, aphids had significantly smaller body size and produced a smaller number of embryos than in colonies isolated from ants when they were reared under homogeneous host conditions free from natural enemies. Thus, ant attendance had a negative influence on the growth and reproduction of the aphids, even though it contributed to the greater longevity of the aphid colonies. We hypothesize that ant-attended aphids are under intense selective pressures that act against aphid clones which fail to attract many ants, so that aphids have developed an adaptive mechanism to allocate a larger fraction of resources to the honeydew when they are requested to do so by the ants in order to ensure the ants' consistent visitation.
122 citations
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TL;DR: The braconid Aphidius ervi Haliday (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) is an endophagous parasitoid of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris) (Homoptera), and the adaptive significance of host castration is discussed.
120 citations
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TL;DR: Seven species of Coccinellidae inhabiting citrus groves in Florida were evaluated for ability to develop and reproduce on the citrus aphids Toxoptera citricida and Aphis spiraecola Patch, and C. sanguinea was judged the best candidate for augmentative biocontrol of T. citicida, the primary vector of citrus tristeza virus.
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TL;DR: It is suggested that more attention should be given to breeding virus-resistant cultivars that would lead to decreased pesticide use and thus promote more integrated environment-friendly strategies for control.
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TL;DR: Effects of nitrogen deficiency in hydroponically grown barley seedlings on the development and reproduction of the aphid Rhopalosiphum padi (L.) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) were investigated.
Abstract: Effects of nitrogen deficiency in hydroponically grown barley seedlings (Hordeum vulgare L.) on the development and reproduction of the aphid Rhopalosiphum padi (L.) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) were investigated. Plant growth was significantly reduced in seedlings grown without nitrogen. Aphid intrinsic rate of increase (r m ) was also significantly lower on these plants compared with that on plants grown with 8 mol m -3 nitrogen. Phloem sap was collected from seedling stems by aphid stylectomy and amino acids quantified by HPLC. There was a significant reduction in the concentration of non-essential amino acids as a group, but not of essential amino acids. Electrical penetration graphs (EPG) indicated that aphids reached the phloem more quickly and fed for longer on plants grown with nitrogen. This is the first reported study in which this combination of techniques has been used to understand the interactions of an aphid and plant under different environmental conditions.
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TL;DR: In this article, the existence of putative generalist (polyphagous) or specialized (host-adapted) genotypes was also investigated by comparing the genotypic distribution of this aphid on maize and other cultivated host plants, using five microsatellite loci.
Abstract: Aphids are particularly interesting models in the study of genetic and demographic components of plant adaptation because of their breeding system which combines parthenogenesis and sexual reproduction (i.e. cyclical parthenogenesis), and the frequent emergence of host-adapted races reported in this group. In this paper, patterns of host adaptation were assessed on local populations of the aphid Sitobion avenae by following their demographic and genetic structure in a maize field for two consecutive years. The existence of putative generalist (polyphagous) or specialized (host-adapted) genotypes was also investigated by comparing the genotypic distribution of this aphid on maize and other cultivated host plants, using five microsatellite loci. Although population dynamics revealed strong variation in aphid abundance during the colonization period on maize, two genotypes identified at seven additional microsatellite loci were predominant and exhibited stable frequencies over cropping season and between years. Based on present and earlier studies, these two prevalent genotypes were shown to survive on different host plants other than maize, to colonize large geographical zones and to persist parthenogenetically for several years. All these data strongly suggest that these two genotypes are asexual generalist clones that could have been favoured by agricultural practices encountered in western Europe. Besides these two clones, a continual replacement of rare genotypes was observed on maize in both years. Hypotheses involving selection via aphid-plant interactions and natural enemies were proposed for explaining the disappearance of these genotypes on maize.
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TL;DR: Both the literature evidence reviewed and the data from the experiment indicated that fitness components and overall individual fitnesses are broadly similar among all aphid species, with some exceptions.
Abstract: 1. The fitness consequences of feeding on different aphids (apple, blackberry, dock, elder, nettle, pea, rose and sycamore aphids) for two species of generalist insect predator (the aphidophagous larvae of Episyrphus balteatus and Syrphus ribesii- Diptera:Syrphidae) were measured in the laboratory. The relevant literature studies on prey specialization in the Syrphidae were summarized for the first time. 2. Both the literature evidence reviewed and the data from the experiment indicated that fitness components and overall individual fitnesses are broadly similar among all aphid species, with some exceptions. 3. We correlated individual fitness to two estimates of oviposition preference, an indirect (field distribution of larvae) and a direct measure (egg distribution under laboratory conditions). In the non-resident, migratory E. balteatus significant correlations were absent, but there were indications of a weak preference-performance correlation in the largely resident S. ribesii.
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TL;DR: The data suggest that stimulation of reproduction by these insecticides probably does not play a major role in cotton aphid outbreaks or resurgence, and that modifying aphid population structure and growth through the use of juvenoids such as pyriproxifen may be an effective proactive approach to pest control without adversely impacting beneficial organisms or causing pest resurgence.
Abstract: Insecticides are often implicated in causing outbreaks of the cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii (Glover) (Homoptera: Aphididae), through stimulation of reproduction. In this study we report the sublethal effects of dosages of bifenthrin, acephate, carbofuran or pyriproxifen on cotton aphid reproduction. We could not detect any increase or decrease in the intrinsic rate of increase of cotton aphids exposed to bifenthrin, acephate or carbofuran. However, we did detect some increases in the net reproductive rate of aphids treated with bifenthrin justifying further investigation of the effect on reproduction by this insecticide. Trends based on simple linear regression models suggest that sublethal dosages of bifenthrin or carbofuran have a negative impact on aphid population growth as dosages increase. These data suggest that stimulation of reproduction by these insecticides probably does not play a major role in cotton aphid outbreaks or resurgence. Pyriproxyfen is a juvenoid currently used for control of whiteflies in cotton. It demonstrated significant activity towards cotton aphid reared on treated cotton in our bioassays. Pyriproxyfen caused sterility in most aphids exposed to dosages exceeding 1 ppm, and reduced aphid longevity by approximately 50%. However, it did not appear to greatly influence the reproductive potential or longevity of reproductively mature aphids. A field study indicates that pyriproxyfen affects cotton aphid population structure and may have potential in managing cotton aphid outbreaks. Modifying aphid population structure and growth through the use of juvenoids such as pyriproxifen may prove to be an effective proactive approach to pest control without adversely impacting beneficial organisms or causing pest resurgence.
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TL;DR: In both years, parasitoids were predicted to have emerged from overwintering mummies well in advance of the onset of aphid infestation, and more than a month earlier than the first parasitized aphids were found in winter wheat.
Abstract: Temperature dependencies were established for the egg-to-mummy and mummy-to-adult phases, for mummy mortality, and for parasitism of Aphidius ervi Haliday, Aphidius rhopalosiphi De Stefani-Perez, and Praon volucre (Haliday) (Hymenoptera, Aphidiidae), three parasitoids of Sitobion avenae (Fabricius) (Homoptera, Aphididae), at 8 °C, 12 °C, 16 °C, 20 °C, and 25 °C on winter wheat (cv. Haven). A physiological model described temperature-dependent development over the full temperature range, whereas a linear model was fitted for data above 8 °C and used to estimate the lower temperature thresholds and day-degrees (° D) required for development. The thresholds for A. ervi were 2.2 °C for egg-mummy development and 6.6 °C for mummy-adult development, those for A. rhopalosiphi were 4.5 °C and 7.2 °C, and those for P. volucre were 3.8 °C and 5.5 °C. The time to develop into mummies and adults differed significantly between the three species: A. ervi development into mummies required an average of 159 ° D, while development into adults took an average of 73 ° D. The corresponding average times required for A. rhopalosiphi and P. volucre to develop mummies were 124° D and 126° D, while their development into adults required an average of 70° D and 150° D, respectively. Mummy mortality was 25–35% at 8 °C and less at the higher temperatures tested, but began to increase again at 25 °C, showing a quadratic relationship between mortality and temperature. Parasitization was very low or, in the case of P. volucre, absent up to 12 °C and thereafter increased with increasing temperature. The relationship between parasitization, recorded as percent aphids mummified, and temperature was linear at the temperatures tested and depended on species. A. ervi superparasitized 11.1% aphids at 20 °C and 16.6% aphids at 25 °C, whereas superparasitism was low in A. rhopalosiphi and absent in P. volucre. From 16 °C to 25 °C the P. volucre sex ratio increased. For A. ervi and A. rhopalosiphi there was no trend with temperature, but at 20 °C and 25 °C it was close to even. Field data for 1996 and 1997 allowed for a comparison of actual and expected emergence of overwintering mummies. In both years, parasitoids were predicted to have emerged from overwintering mummies well in advance of the onset of aphid infestation, and more than a month earlier than the first parasitized aphids were found in winter wheat. Observations from trap plants in other crops supported the predictions of the models. Other factors that can affect biological control by cereal aphid parasitoids are discussed.
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TL;DR: The behaviour of summer and autumn winged forms of the black bean aphid, Aphis fabae Scopoli, was compared on two plants utilized at different stages of the insect’s life cycle, finding that gynoparae showed a clear preference for spindle, and factors detected during stylet insertion by gynops must inhibit take‐off on spindle.
Abstract: Summary
The behaviour of summer and autumn winged forms of the black bean aphid, Aphis fabae Scopoli (Homoptera: Aphididae), was compared on two plants utilized at different stages of the insect’s life cycle. Adult autumn migrants (gynoparae) are monophagous, colonizing spindle (Euonymus europaeus), whereas polyphagous summer winged aphids (alate virginoparae) are associated with a variety of herbaceous plants, including broad bean (Vicia faba). When aphids from a single clone were given access to a spindle leaf and a bean seedling in choice tests, many virginoparae settled and larviposited on both plant species over 24 h. By contrast, gynoparae showed a clear preference for spindle, with 93.5% of settled adults and 98.3% of larvae on this plant species. Close-up video monitoring showed that gynoparae discriminated beans from spindle within a 5-min period, whereas virginoparae behaved similarly on both plant species. For gynoparae, the major behavioural difference on the two plants appeared after a brief (epidermal) stylet penetration, with many insects taking flight within a few seconds of stylet withdrawal from bean. Factors detected during stylet insertion by gynoparae must therefore inhibit take-off on spindle. Electrical recording experiments showed that aphids often punctured a cell membrane during brief probes on both plant species, and intracellular stylet activities always included a waveform associated with ingestion. When gynoparae puncture spindle cells their behaviour is probably modified by intracellular metabolites detected via gustation of ingested epidermal cell sap. These cues may inhibit the take-off reflex which otherwise follows probing.
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TL;DR: The number of host and parasitoid extinctions described in this study exceeds the number of extinctions usually observed in field studies of host‐parasitoid metapopulations.
Abstract: Metapopulation theory makes a number of predictions concerning the effects of dispersal on the persistence of predator-prey or host-parasitoid systems. While the stabilising effects of dispersal have been shown in a number of laboratory studies, evidence from field studies remains scarce due to a lack of suitable model systems. I describe a host-parasitoid system that shows a classical metapopulation structure with frequent extinctions and colonisations consisting of the aphidiid Lysiphlebus hirticornis and the aphid Metopeurum fuscoviride. Both the parasitoid and the aphid are specialists on their respective hosts. I followed the dynamics of host and parasitoid on individually marked tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) plants, the host of M. fuscoviride. Dynamics of host and parasitoid populations were characterized by frequent extinctions and colonisations. Mean longevity of aphid colonies was only 3.1 weeks. Parasitism by L. hirticornis was a main cause of extinction for the aphid as rates of parasitism often reached 100%, in particular towards the end of the field season. Patchiness in this system occurs at two spatial scales. Aphid colonies form on single tansy ramets = shoots but movements of aphid individuals among ramets within a particular tansy genet are frequent. Because aphids can persist on a genet for a large numer of generations, it is argued that local populations form on genets rather than ramets. The number of host and parasitoid extinctions described in this study exceeds the number of extinctions usually observed in field studies of host-parasitoid metapopulations. It is suggested that aphid-parasitoid systems such as the one studied in this paper may be good models to test the predictions of metapopulation theory.
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TL;DR: Olfactometry showed that the response of spring migrants of the bird cherry‐oat aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi (L.) (Homoptera: Aphididae), to the repellent winter host volatile methyl salicylate changes with age of the adult aphid.
Abstract: Olfactometry showed that the response of spring migrants of the bird cherry-oat aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi (L.) (Homoptera: Aphididae), to the repellent winter host volatile methyl salicylate changes with age of the adult aphid. Between three and four days after becoming adult, and having left the winter host Prunus padus L., aphids lost their negative response to the chemical. The change in response was not associated with contact with a summer host, oats. In a settling choice bioassay, migrants avoided oats which had been exposed to volatile methyl salicylate. Aphids with removed antennal tips did not avoid the exposed plant, indicating that plant choice was influenced by cues from the plant surface. The results are discussed in relation to the use of methyl salicylate in integrated control.
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TL;DR: The general hypothesis for the existence of similarities among the resistance mechanisms to whiteflies, aphids and nematodes in commercial tomato plants is supported.
Abstract: Two commercial cultivars of tomato, Alta and Peto 95, the accession line number LA716 of Lycopersicon pennellii and lines 94GH-006 and 94GH-033 (backcrosses between Peto 95 and LA716), with different leaf acyl sugar contents were screened for resistance to Bemisia argentifolii Bellows & Perring (corresponding to the Spanish B-biotype of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius)), in greenhouse- and field-no-choice experiments. There was no oviposition on LA716 (with the highest acyl sugar content) while the greatest fecundity and fertility values were observed on the cultivar Alta (no acyl sugar content). However, no clear relationship was found between the low acyl sugar content in the other tomato cultivars tested and whitefly reproduction. Thus, resistance to B. tabaci did not appear to correlate with acyl sugar content below a threshold level of 37.8 µg cm 22 leaf. In a greenhouse choiceassay, B. tabaci exhibited reduced host preference and reproduction on the commercial tomato cultivars Motelle, VFN8 and Ronita all of which carry the Mi gene resistance to Meloidogyne nematodes and the aphid Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas), than on the Mi-lacking cultivars Moneymaker, Rio Fuego and Roma. When data of Mi-bearing plants were pooled, the mean values for daily infestation and pupal production of B. tabaci were significantly lower than those of Mi-lacking plants. This reflected a level of antixenosis- and antibiosis-based resistance in commercial tomato and indicated that Mi, or another closely linked gene, might be implicated in a partial resistance which was not associated either with the presence of glandular trichomes or their exudates. These findings support the general hypothesis for the existence of similarities among the resistance mechanisms to whiteflies, aphids and nematodes in commercial tomato plants.
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TL;DR: Reduced waxbloom in peas is associated with lower natural infestations of an aphid, but also with increased susceptibility to a folivorous beetle.
Abstract: Seven accessions or varieties of cultivated pea Pisum sativum L. varying in surface waxbloom characteristics were grown in replicated small plots (1 m2) for two seasons to monitor natural infestations of insect herbivores and abundance of predatory insects. Waxbloom was quantified on the basis of the amount of waxes extractable from leaf surfaces, densities of wax crystals visible with scanning electron microscopy, and visual appearance. During each season, pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris) (Homoptera: Aphidae), densities per plant were significantly lower on peas with reduced surface waxbloom as compared with peas with standard or ‘normal’ surface waxbloom. This difference was greatest between two near-isolines of peas differing in expression of a mutation that reduces surface waxes. Although reduced-waxbloom plants had lower end-of-season above ground biomass and vine lengths, including these variables as covariates did not affect the significance of the waxbloom effects on aphid densities. Damage to leaves and stipules by the pea leaf weevil Sitona lineatus (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) was greater on reduced-waxbloom peas than normal-waxbloom peas. Thus, as occurs in other crops, reduced waxbloom in peas is associated with lower natural infestations of an aphid, but also with increased susceptibility to a folivorous beetle. Populations of predatory coccinellids did not differ consistently between years on reduced-waxbloom versus normal-waxbloom peas, failing to support a hypothesis that predator populations are higher on reduced waxbloom peas, contributing to the lower aphid populations on these plants.
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TL;DR: It is concluded that avoidance of coccinellids by L. fabarum contributes to the negative association between the abundance of coc cinellid and parasitoids in the field.
Abstract: An experimental plot of the aphid Aphis fabae on various host plant species was colonized by natural populations of the aphidiine parasitoid Lysiphlebus fabarum and insect predators, especially coccinellids. Parasitism of A. fabae by L. fabarum was significantly depressed on plants bearing coccinellids. The number of parasitized aphids increased with aphid abundance on three plant species (Papaver dubium, Rumex obtusifolius, Vicia faba), but not on the plant species (Chenopodium album) which bore very high numbers of coccinellids. In complementary laboratory experiments, L. fabarum offered a choice between odours of plants infested with A. fabae and/or coccinellids selected the odour fields from coccinellid treatments at significantly lower frequency than the odour fields of other treatments. It is concluded that avoidance of coccinellids by L. fabarum contributes to the negative association between the abundance of coccinellids and parasitoids in the field.
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TL;DR: Aphid infestation induces PR-proteins differently in barley susceptible or resistant to the birdcherry-oat aphid (Rhopalosiphum padi).
Abstract: Aphid infestation induces PR-proteins differently in barley susceptible or resistant to the birdcherry-oat aphid (Rhopalosiphum padi)
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TL;DR: It is suggested that prereproductive aphids have been selected to produce higher levels of pheromone because of their more clustered colony structure andHigher levels of predation, as compared with adult aphids.
Abstract: When attacked by a predator, an aphid may secrete a droplet of fluid from its cornicles containing a volatile alarm pheromone component, (E)-β-farnesene. This study investigated both qualitative and quantitative aspects of alarm pheromone production in the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum. The best predictor of cornicle droplet emission was reproductive phase, rather than instar, as prereproductive aphids were more likely to secrete cornicle droplets than either reproductive or postreproductive individuals. Analogously, alarm pheromone amounts were highest in prereproductive aphids. (E)-β-Farnesene quantities (mean ± SE) increased significantly from first instar (1.5 ± 0.6 ng) to second instar (11.2 ± 3.7 ng) and did not significantly change during third (12.8 ± 3.0 ng) or fourth instars (11.0 ± 3.7 ng). Alarm pheromone amounts then decreased significantly in adults (4.8 ± 2.3 ng). We suggest that prereproductive aphids have been selected to produce higher levels of pheromone because of their more clustered colony structure and higher levels of predation, as compared with adult aphids.
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TL;DR: An overview of the role of environmental cues in diapause induction in specialist and generalist aphid parasitoids is presented, and possible endocrine factors that may be involved in diAPause induction are discussed.
Abstract: Diapause is one of the adaptations that insects have evolved for the synchronisation of their life cycle with seasonal climatic changes and resources. In aphid parasitoids, univoltine species have an obligatory, genetically determined diapause. Polyvoltine species, on the other hand, use a variety of abiotic (temperature, photoperiod) and biotic (host insect or/and host plant) signals for the induction of diapause. We present an overview of the role of these environmental cues in diapause induction in specialist and generalist aphid parasitoids, and discuss possible endocrine factors that may be involved in diapause induction.
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TL;DR: The results support the hypothesis that an insect may respond differently to environmentally induced changes in the host plant at different stages in its development and indicate that stem-mother survival, which is closely linked to host plant quality and resistance, may play a significant role in the population dynamics of this aphid.
Abstract: Four full-sib families of Norway spruce (Picea abies), of which two were resistant to a galling aphid (Adelges abietis) and two were susceptible, were exposed to drought stress for 2 years. The primary aim was to test the hypothesis that the various life stages of the aphid differ in their response to environmentally induced changes in the host plant. The drought treatment had a significant negative effect on tree growth. This was reflected in gall size which responded in a similar way to the drought stress, thus supporting the plant vigour hypothesis. Drought affected the survival of aphid stem-mothers negatively in susceptible trees but positively in resistant trees. This result was matched by the response of an individual phenolic compound which, contrary to the total phenolic concentration, tended to increase in susceptible trees exposed to drought and decrease in similarly exposed resistant trees. Thus it is possible that this single, as yet unidentified, phenolic compound could be used as a marker of resistance. The performance of surviving stem-mothers, evaluated by measuring the diameter of the wax cover they produced (a correlate of fecundity), was not significantly affected by drought, but aphids on susceptible trees produced more wax than those on resistant trees. The change in gall density over time (analysed separately for each treatment and phenotype) correlated best with patterns of stem-mother survival. This indicates that stem-mother survival, which is closely linked to host plant quality and resistance, may play a significant role in the population dynamics of this aphid. However, drought-stress-induced changes in host plant quality affected survival, and hence gall density, less than the genetically determined level of resistance. The results also support the hypothesis that an insect may respond differently to environmentally induced changes in the host plant at different stages in its development.
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TL;DR: While both specialist and generalist aphids were positively influenced by Brassicaceae species, mixed effects are recorded in ladybird performances following the aphid species/host plant combinations.
Abstract: The aim of this work was to determine the impact of allelochemicals (glucosinolates/isothiocyanates) from Brassicaceae (Brassica napus and Sinapis alba) at two trophic levels in relation to biological control efficacy. The impact of these plants on aphid Myzus persicae (Sulzer) and Brevicoryne brassicae (L.) and ladybird Adalia bipunctata (L.) biology can be assessed by observation of several developmental parameters: mortality, development duration and adult weight. Sub-lethal toxicity can also be measured through the reproductive parameters of fecundity and/or egg viability. While both specialist and generalist aphids were positively influenced by Brassicaceae species, mixed effects are recorded in ladybird performances following the aphid species/host plant combinations. Significant differences appeared according to aphid host plant and aphid species. This work enhanced the influence of Brassicaceae plants either as cultivated species (B. napus) or as set-aside (S. alba) on both pests and beneficial insects. The allelochemical presence in plants must be taken into account in programs of integrated pest management due to their direct influence on biological control agents.
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TL;DR: The results suggest that the latest application of the first glyphosate spray in a two-spray programme should be before the eight-leaf stage of the sugar beet to prevent weed competition reducing yield.
Abstract: An experiment was set up in 1998 to study the effect of glyphosate on the weeds and pests in glyphosate-tolerant sugar beet, in comparison with a conventional herbicide regime. Glyphosate at 1.08 kg ha−1 was first applied at the two- to four-leaf, 8- to 10-leaf and 12- to 14-leaf stage of the crop, followed by a second application at the same rate two to four weeks later. Weed growth did not affect sugar beet emergence or establishment, but, in untreated controls and the two later glyphosate treatments, weeds almost completely covered the ground, leading to reduction of root weight, sugar concentration and yield at harvest. The number of aphids (mostly Myzus persicae Sulzer) in the beet in June was significantly higher on plots treated with glyphosate at the two- to four-leaf stage than on untreated plots or plots treated later with glyphosate. Large numbers of the leaf curling plum aphid (Brachycaudus helichrysi Kaltenbach) colonised the weeds within untreated or later-treated plots. These were accompanied by predators and parasites which eventually caused substantial mortality in the aphid populations. There was evidence that glyphosate-treated weeds, although not in competition with the crop, were still able to provide sustenance for aphids. Very low levels of virus yellows were observed in the trial, and there were no significant differences between treatments. The results suggest that the latest application of the first glyphosate spray in a two-spray programme should be before the eight-leaf stage of the sugar beet to prevent weed competition reducing yield. Further studies on late control of weeds and insect diversity are being carried out.
© 2000 Society of Chemical Industry