The role of refuge areas in the phenology of Rhopalosiphum padi in low rainfall cropping areas of South Australia

Extensive surveys of possible aphid habitats in South Australia indicated that irrigated perennial grass pastures in the Mount Lofty Ranges and Lower Murray Valley were summer refuges for Rhopalosiphum padi (L.) (Hemiptera: Aphididae). Large numbers of aphids build up in these pastures each year during autumn (April and May) with numbers peaking in May. The size of the May peak was related to the number of aphids surviving the summer. The proportions of alates were highest in May and August/September. Both peaks coincided with a photoperiod of between 11.2 and 11.5 h, and partial correlations suggested that aphid density, photoperiod and temperature were all significant determinants of alate production.     

禾谷缢管蚜阳离子通道基因RSC1的克隆、分子特性及诱导表达分析

【目的】SC1通道(sodium channel 1)是昆虫体内一种重要的离子通道,被认为是一种开发新型杀虫剂的神经靶标。本研究拟克隆禾谷缢管蚜Rhopalosiphum padi的SC1通道基因,并初步分析其生理功能及其与SC1类通道、电压门控钠离子通道、电压门控钙离子通道的进化关系。【方法】采用RT-PCR技术,克隆了禾谷缢管蚜SC1基因完整的开放阅读框;利用实时荧光定量PCR技术,分析禾谷缢管蚜成蚜在不同浓度的高效氯氟氰菊酯诱导下SC1基因表达变化。【结果】获得了禾谷缢管蚜SC1基因(命名为RSC1)完整的开放阅读框(Gen Bank登录号为KU640190),其长度6 687bp,编码2 228个氨基酸。RSC1具有SC1通道的结构特征,有一个不同于电压门控钠离子通道和电压门控钙离子通道的特殊DEEA模体(motif)。系统进化分析结果显示,RSC1与电压门控钠离子通道组成一个进化枝,电压门控钙离子通道组成另外一个进化枝,SC1与电压门控钠离子通道在进化上有更近的起源关系。实时荧光定量PCR分析结果表明,LC15,LC35和LC503种剂量的高效氯氟氰菊酯处理6 h后,禾谷缢管蚜RSC1基因表达量相对于清水对照显著下调,表达量分别为对照的0.57,0.82和0.78倍;3种剂量的高效氯氟氰菊酯处理24 h后,禾谷缢管蚜RSC1基因表达量分别为对照的2.19,1.33和1.19倍,其中LC15(0.1484 mg/L)胁迫下RSC1基因的表达量显著上调。【结论】SC1类通道与电压门控钠离子通道在进化起源上有更近的关系。RSC1通道可能是高效氯氟氰菊酯的次级靶标。由于RSC1和其同源基因只存在于节肢动物中,脊椎动物尚未发现该类基因,因此这类通道可能作为开发新型杀虫剂的神经靶标。     

黄板、黄盆及灯光对麦长管蚜和禾谷缢管蚜的诱捕效果

通过黄板、黄盆及灯光的监测,研究了其对麦长管蚜Sitobion avenae(Fabricius)和禾谷缢管蚜Rhopalosiphum padi(L.)诱捕作用,结果表明2种麦蚜对黄盆的趋性最好,黄盆诱捕量分别为黄板诱捕量的7.94、2.13倍。黑光灯和荧光灯对2种麦蚜的诱捕作用比较试验表明,黑光灯对2种麦蚜的诱捕效果较好。黄盆和黑光灯2种监测手段的结合能够为预测预报提供准确可靠、适时的测报结果。     

不同营养层次挥发物对燕麦蚜茧蜂寄主搜寻行为的影响

“Ｙ”型管嗅觉计及风洞测定试验明,小麦植株,麦长管蚜（Sitobion avenae),禾谷缢管蚜（Rhopalosiphum padi)对燕麦蚜蜂（Aphidius avenae)雌蜂的吸引作用较小,而有蚜植株及蚜害植株对其吸引作用较大,并以麦长管蚜有蚜植株的吸引作用最强,尽管该蜂对禾谷缢管蚜的寄生率极你,工作量 由其危害诱导产生的挥发性信息化僵物对该蜂仍具有较强的吸引作用,GC－MS鉴定结果表明,麦蚜取食诱导的挥发性信息化合物主要是2－莰烯,6－甲基－5－已烯－2－酮,顺－3－已酰酸酯有水杨酸甲酯,其中6－甲基－5－已烯－2－酮和6－甲基－5－已烯－2－醇对燕麦蚜划蜂的吸引作用最强,水杨酸酯无明显吸引作用。     

Triticum monococcum lines with distinct metabolic phenotypes and phloem‐based partial resistance to the bird cherry–oat aphid Rhopalosiphum padi

Crop protection is an integral part of establishing food security, by protecting the yield potential of crops. Cereal aphids cause yield losses by direct damage and transmission of viruses. Some wild relatives of wheat show resistance to aphids but the mechanisms remain unresolved. In order to elucidate the location of the partial resistance to the bird cherry–oat aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi, in diploid wheat lines of Triticum monococcum, we conducted aphid performance studies using developmental bioassays and electrical penetration graphs, as well as metabolic profiling of partially resistant and susceptible lines. This demonstrated that the partial resistance is related to a delayed effect on the reproduction and development of R. padi. The observed partial resistance is phloem based and is shown by an increase in number of probes before the first phloem ingestion, a higher number and duration of salivation events without subsequent phloem feeding and a shorter time spent phloem feeding on plants with reduced susceptibility. Clear metabolic phenotypes separate partially resistant and susceptible lines, with the former having lower levels of the majority of primary metabolites, including total carbohydrates. A number of compounds were identified as being at different levels in the susceptible and partially resistant lines, with asparagine, octopamine and glycine betaine elevated in less susceptible lines without aphid infestation. In addition, two of those, asparagine and octopamine, as well as threonine, glutamine, succinate, trehalose, glycerol, guanosine and choline increased in response to infestation, accumulating in plant tissue localised close to aphid feeding after 24 h. There was no clear evidence of systemic plant response to aphid infestation.     

Effects of honeydew sugar composition on the longevity of Aphidius ervi

Feeding on sugar‐rich foods such as nectar and honeydew is important for survival of many adult parasitoids. Especially in agricultural systems, honeydew is often the most prevalent carbohydrate source. However, relative to plant nectar, honeydew may be relatively unsuitable, as a result of an unfavourable sugar composition or the presence of secondary plant compounds. We studied survival of the aphid parasitoid Aphidius ervi Haliday (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) on honeydew collected from various aphid species feeding on potato (Solanum tuberosum L., cv. Desiree) (Solanaceae), wheat (Triticum aestivum L., cv. Bobwhite) (Poaceae), or artificial diet, as well as the sugar composition of the different honeydews. Honeydews from the tested aphid species on potato, wheat, or artificial diet were found to be relatively suitable food sources for adult A. ervi, although not always as suitable as a 2 M sucrose solution. There were differences in honeydew sugar composition among the different aphid species on the various host plants. Multivariate statistics showed that the factor ‘aphid species’ had a significant influence on the sugar composition of the honeydew, explaining 27% of the variation in the potato system and 89% in the wheat system. When exploring the relationship between carbohydrate composition of the honeydews from aphids on potato and wheat plants, and their nutritional value for A. ervi, data revealed that differences in parasitoid longevity can to some extent be explained by carbohydrate composition. Furthermore, our results confirm that sucrose and its hexose components glucose and fructose are very suitable carbohydrate sources for hymenopteran parasitoids and show that parasitoid survival on an equimolar solution of the two monosaccharides glucose and fructose does not exceed performance on the disaccharide sucrose.     

The effect of parasitism by Aphelinus abdominalis and drought on the walking movement of aphids

The effect of simulated plant stress and parasitism by Aphelinus abdominalis (Dalman) on the mobility of four species of aphids was investigated. The aphids were placed on water stressed potted plants or on excised leaf segments on dry or moist filter-paper in Petri dishes. Winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) was infested with Metopolophium dirhodum (Walker), Sitobion avenae (F.) and Rhopalosiphum padi (L.) (segments only), aubergine (Solanum melongena) leaf segments with Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas). The aphids that moved off the plants were removed and their development stage determined at 24-h (drought-stressed plants) or 3-h (leaf segments) intervals. On intact plants, aphid larvae were reluctant to move, and only moved after moulting into adults. On cut leaves, young 1st and 2nd instar larvae were more reluctant to move than 3rd and 4th instar larvae and adults. The numbers moving were initially positively correlated with aphid population density, and in M. euphorbiae occurred mainly during the night. Depending on aphid species and parasitoid age, parasitism by A. abdominalis retarded or accelerated movement, but the differences between young and old larvae and adults persisted after parasitism. A. abdominalis lays male eggs in small hosts and female eggs in large hosts. Consequently, its sex ratio was affected by differential movement of the host aphids of the male and female parasitoids. Old larvae and adult aphids readily moved and carried off female parasitoids, while the small aphids were more likely to remain and give rise to male-biased sex ratios.     

禾谷缢蚜对小麦黄矮病传播能力变异的研究

测试结果禾谷缢蚜对小麦黄矮病(BYDV)传播能力显著提高。由此可使该病由北方干旱,半干旱的中、低产麦区往水地高产麦区,甚至南方麦区扩展曼延。已于1988、1989年秋季导致陕西关中西部水地,1989年春季导致南方麦区四川荣县小麦黄矮病发生流行。     

Modification of native grasses for biofuel production may increase virus susceptibility

Bioenergy production is driving modifications to native plant species for use as novel biofuel crops. Key aims are to increase crop growth rates and to enhance conversion efficiency by reducing biomass recalcitrance to digestion. However, selection for these biofuel‐valuable traits has potential to compromise plant defenses and alter interactions with pests and pathogens. Insect‐vectored plant viruses are of particular concern because perennial crops have potential to serve as virus reservoirs that influence regional disease dynamics. In this study, we examined relationships between growth rates and biomass recalcitrance in five switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) populations, ranging from near‐wildtype to highly selected cultivars, in a common garden trial. We measured biomass accumulation rates and assayed foliage for acid detergent lignin, neutral detergent fiber, in vitro neutral detergent fiber digestibility and in vitro true dry matter digestibility. We then evaluated relationships between these traits and susceptibility to a widely distributed group of aphid‐transmitted Poaceae viruses (Luteoviridae: Barley and cereal yellow dwarf viruses, B/CYDVs). Virus infection rates and prevalence were assayed with RT‐PCR in the common garden, in greenhouse inoculation trials, and in previously established switchgrass stands across a 300‐km transect in Michigan, USA. Aphid host preferences were quantified in a series of arena host choice tests with field‐grown foliage. Contrary to expectations, biomass accumulation rates and foliar digestibility were not strongly linked in switchgrass populations we examined, and largely represented two different trait axes. Natural B/CYDV prevalence in established switchgrass stands ranged from 0% to 28%. In experiments, susceptibility varied notably among switchgrass populations and was more strongly predicted by potential biomass accumulation rates than by foliar digestibility; highly selected, productive cultivars were most virus‐susceptible and most preferred by aphids. Evaluation and mitigation of virus susceptibility of new biofuel crops is recommended to avert possible unintended consequences of biofuel production on regional pathogen dynamics.     

Phylogeography of two parthenogenetic sawfly species (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae): relationship of population genetic differentiation to host plant distribution

This study compares the population genetic structure of two obligate parthenogenetic sawfly species, Aneugmenus padi (L.) Zhelochovtsev and Eurhadinoceraea ventralis (Panzer) Enslin (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae). Allozymes were used to detect genetic differences in larvae collected at different sites in six European countries. For A. padi , scoring six polymorphic enzymes revealed the existence of five dominant, widely distributed clones and several more with only very few individuals occurring locally. The clonal diversity and identity differed across collection sites, with up to at maximum eight clones coexisting at a single locality. In contrast, in E. ventralis , individuals from different localities were all monomorphic for at least six different enzymes and are therefore assumed to belong to the same clone. Differences in population genetic structure of these sawfly species can be related to the differing distributions of their host plants: the fern, Pteridium aquilinum , the host of A. padi , has been an invasive species for more than two hundred years. Spread of clones of A. padi is likely to have closely followed the complex invasive pattern of spread of the plant. Larvae of E. ventralis were collected from local, horticultural plantings of Clematis spp. of recent origin probably with gardeners having traded plants infested with the sawfly.  © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2004, 83 , 219–227.