The influence of azadirachtin on the feeding behaviour of cereal aphids and slugs

The probing behaviour of Rhopalosiphum padi (L.) and Sitobion avenae (F.) and the feeding behaviour of several slug species, (Deroceras reticulatum (Müller), Arion distinctus Mabille, Agriolimax caruanae Pollonera, Maximus sp.) were assessed on seedlings of winter barley (Hordeum marinum) treated with different concentrations of azadirachtin. Settling behaviour of both aphid species was strongly biased towards the untreated seedlings or those treated with low concentrations of azadirachtin. Concentrations of <500 ppm were effective with topical application and probing activity was reduced for at least 4 days after application. Systemic activity of azadirachtin against cereal aphids was also demonstrated. Feeding behaviour of the slug species, as seen by the amount of leaf eaten compared to the controls, was not affected by the presence of azadirachtin at those concentrations which deterred aphids from feeding. The relevance of these results to crop protection is discussed.     

The origin of a mutualism: a morphological trait promoting the evolution of ant-aphid mutualisms

Mutualisms are mutually beneficial interactions between species and are fundamentally important at all levels of biological organization. It is not clear, however, why one species participates in a particular mutualism whereas another does not. Here we show that pre-existing traits can dispose particular species to evolve a mutualistic interaction. Combining morphological, ecological, and behavioral data in a comparative analysis, we show that resource use in Chaitophorus aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) modulates the origin of their mutualism with ants. We demonstrate that aphid species that feed on deeper phloem elements have longer mouthparts, that this inhibits their ability to withdraw their mouthparts and escape predators and that, consequently, this increases their need for protection by mutualist ants.     

Cornicle secretions of Uroleucon nigrotuberculatum (Homoptera: Aphididae) as the last bullet against lady beetle larvae

Aphids have evolved various defense strategies against natural enemies, including secretions from their cornicles. We assessed the defensive function of cornicle secretions by the goldenrod aphid, Uroleucon nigrotuberculatum (Olive), against larvae of the lady beetles Coccinella septempunctata bruckii Mulsant and Propylea japonica (Thunberg) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). The aphid secreted red droplets from its cornicles when attacked by the larvae. Two‐thirds of the C. septempunctata bruckii larvae and 46.7% of the P. japonica larvae that preyed on the aphids died before reaching the pre‐pupal stage. The secretions caused molting failure when smeared on the larvae's heads or glued to the larvae's mouthparts, killing 56.7% of C. septempunctata bruckii larvae and 36.7% of P. japonica larvae. Second instar larvae were affected most. About 40% of third and fourth instar larvae of C. septempunctata bruckii vomited soon after ingesting the aphids. In the field, up to 40% of first and second instar larvae were smeared with red secretions. Our results show that these cornicle secretions are an effective and active defense against earlier instars of coccinellid larvae.     

Aphids (Hemiptera: Aphidoidea) on cultivated and self-sown plants in Greece

The present work covers original information on aphids (Hemiptera: Aphidoidea) from Greece during 1995–2005. The individual aphid taxa were collected from their host plants and identified. The plant taxa were classified in two major categories: cultivated and self-sown. The cultivated ones were classified as: herbaceous, climbing and trees. The selfsown ones were classified as: annual herbaceous, annual or biennial herbaceous, biennial or perennial herbaceous, perennial herbaceous, shrubby and trees Two hundred twelve plant taxa were identified on which 105 aphid taxa were recorded. We report 391 plant taxa-aphid taxa associations from which, 190 are referred to cultivated and 201 to self-shown plant taxa. Aphis gossypii was found to infest the widest spectrum of cultivated plant taxa whereas Brachycaudus helichrysi was found to infest the widest spectrum of self-sown plant taxa. Myzus persicae was found to infest the widest spectrum of the total number of plant taxa. Information for several economically unimportant aphid taxa in the area are also presented.     

三种麦蚜在温度梯度中活动行为的临界高温

利用自制的温度梯度产生装置,研究了禾谷缢管蚜Rhopalosiphum padi、麦长管蚜Sitobion avenae和麦二叉蚜Schizaphis graminum在寄主植物叶片温度梯度上栖息、爬行和取食时的躲避临界高温。温度梯度内,麦蚜在小于等于温度T的温度区域内的累积栖息分布量占温度梯度场内蚜虫栖息总量的百分比Pa=90%时,则把T记为栖息躲避临界高温。将蚜虫在温度梯度内从低温端向高温端爬行的过程中,受到热刺激后调转运动方向时的温度定义为蚜虫爬行时的躲避临界高温。将蚜虫在温度逐渐升高的叶片上取食时拔出口针开始挣扎逃跑时的温度定义为蚜虫取食时的躲避临界高温。为研究麦蚜栖息和爬行时的躲避临界高温,在盛有水的搪瓷托盘一端下方置一盏白炽灯加热水温,在漂浮于水面的小麦叶片上产生了叶片温度梯度,用照相机记录蚜虫在温度梯度内栖息时的分布状态。为研究麦蚜取食时的躲避临界高温,在盛有水的塑料培养皿的下方设置一盏白炽灯用于加热水温,在漂浮于水面的小麦叶片上产生逐渐升高的温度。两个装置的温度设置均可通过调节白炽灯泡顶端与托盘或培养皿底部的距离来控制,用红外测温仪测量叶片上的温度。试验明确了3种麦蚜的栖息躲避临界高温,在26-43℃的叶片温度梯度内,禾谷缢管蚜、麦长管蚜和麦二叉蚜成蚜累积栖息分布达90%的临界高温分别为30.2、28.8℃和27.3℃,用Sigmoidal函数模型描述了麦蚜在温度梯度内的累积分布百分率与温度之间的关系。测定了3种麦蚜爬行和取食时的躲避临界高温,禾谷缢管蚜、麦长管蚜和麦二叉蚜爬行时的躲避临界高温分别为42.0、39.1℃和38.5℃;取食时的躲避临界高温分别为39.3、40.2℃和39.0℃。试验表明,3种蚜虫中禾谷缢管蚜较耐高温。讨论了温度梯度本身的设置、湿度控制、供试蚜虫种群的不同对麦蚜在温度梯度内行为可能造成的影响,并指出在温度梯度中,研究麦蚜若蚜蜕皮、成蚜生殖及有翅蚜和无翅蚜对适宜温度的选择将是今后继续开展的工作内容。本研究的结果为提高麦蚜田间调查取样及预测预报的准确度提供了依据,同时也为今后开展其它昆虫对环境高温的行为对策研究提供方法上的参考。     

Toxicity of plant essential oil vapours to aphid pests and their coccinellid predators

The comparative toxicity of five essential oil vapours was tested against four aphid species, the black bean aphid Aphis fabae, the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum, the chrysanthemum aphid Macrosiphoniella sanborni, the green peach aphid Myzus persicae and on two of the most common coccinellid predators, the seven-spotted ladybird Coccinella septempunctata and the two-spotted ladybird Adalia bipunctata. All essential oils were highly toxic to the aphid species tested with LC₅₀ and LC₉₉ values ranging between 0.17 and 1.92 and 0.44 and 4.83 µL/L air, respectively, depending on the aphid species and on the essential oil. Coccinellid predators were also highly susceptible to the essential oil vapours and the selective toxicity ratio varied depending on aphid species, coccinellid predator and essential oil. The possibilities for the utililization of essential oils as aphicides, especially in IPM programmes in glasshouses are discussed with regard to the present findings.     

油菜田害虫调查及蚜虫防治药剂筛选

田间调查试验表明,合肥市油菜田害虫的发生种类有15种,主要害虫为蚜虫类、油菜潜叶蝇Phytomyza horticola、小菜蛾Plutella maculipennis和菜青虫Pieris rapae。其中,以蚜虫类危害最重,全生育期在冬、春季各有一个峰值。油菜苗期以萝卜蚜、小菜蛾危害较重,后期以桃蚜Myzus persicae、油菜潜叶蝇危害较重。蚜虫防治药剂筛选试验表明,70%吡虫啉水分散粒剂防治蚜虫药效高,持效期长,且对油菜安全,10%烯啶虫胺可溶液剂和25%吡蚜酮可湿性粉剂防效也较好,可作为70%吡虫啉水分散粒剂的轮换药剂。     

瘿绵蚜科系统发育研究（同翅目：蚜总科）

采用支序分析的方法对瘿绵蚜科的系统发育进行了探讨。研究结果表明,传统的倍蚜族Schlechtendalini、五节根蚜族Fordini和瘿绵蚜族Pemphigini 是单系群,传统的 卷叶绵蚜族Prociphilini 和四脉绵蚜族Tetraneurini是并系群。在瘿绵蚜科的三个亚科中,瘿绵蚜亚科与五节根蚜亚科亲缘关系比与绵蚜亚科更近。另外,根据支序分析结果,建议将丽绵蚜属Formosaphis从瘿绵蚜亚科移入五节根蚜亚科中。     

新疆麦田主要蚜虫的生态位

利用生态位理论,对新疆塔城、伊犁两地区麦田的麦双尾蚜Diuraphis noxia (Mordvilko)、麦二叉蚜Shizaphis graminum (Rondani)、麦长管蚜Sitobion avenae (F.)和禾谷缢管蚜Rhopalosiphum padi (L.)等4种麦蚜生态位宽度和重叠度进行了估测和分析。在塔城麦田麦双尾蚜时间生态位宽度最大,麦双尾蚜和麦二叉蚜时间生态位重叠最大,竞争激烈。伊犁麦田禾谷缢管蚜时间生态位宽度最大,麦二叉蚜在空间生态位和时 空二维生态位上均占有明显的优势,麦长管蚜和麦双尾蚜的时间生态位重叠最大,麦长管蚜和麦二叉蚜在空间生态位和时 空生态位重叠最大。     

Effects of extreme,fluctuating temperature events on life history traits of the grain aphid,Sitobion avenae

Altered temperatures affect insects’ life history traits, such as development period and fecundity, which ultimately determine population growth rates. Understanding insects’ thermal biology is therefore integral to population forecasting and pest management decision‐making such as when to utilise crop spraying or biological control. Aphids are important crop pests in temperate regions, causing considerable yield losses. The aphid thermal‐biology literature is, however, heavily biased towards the effects of rising mean temperatures, whereas the effects of fluctuating, extreme climatic events (e.g., heat waves and sub‐zero cold periods) are largely overlooked. This study assessed the effects of laboratory‐simulated heat waves and sub‐zero cold periods on the survival, development period, and fecundity of the grain aphid, Sitobion avenae (Fabricius) (Hemiptera: Aphididae: Microsiphini), in addition to assessing maternal effects on the birth weight and development period of the offspring of exposed individuals. Exposure to heat stress periods (total of 16 h at 30 °C) significantly reduced aphid fecundity and increased physiological development period (in day‐degrees) resulting in a reduced population growth rate. Cold exposure (total of 1.33 h at ?15 °C) reduced population growth rate due to an elongated development period (in days), but did not affect fecundity or physiological development period (in day‐degrees). Both cold and heat stress significantly reduced aphid survival. Maternal experience of heat stress reduced nymphal birth weight although nymphal development period was not affected by either cold or heat stress. The results suggest that including the effects of fluctuating, extreme temperature events on aphid life history in population forecast models is likely to be of great importance to pest management decision‐making. The demonstration of maternal effects on birth weight also suggests that cross‐generational effects of heat waves on population growth rates could occur.