Effect of Erynia neoaphidis infection and coccinellid foraging on the spatial distribution of aphids on plants

Effects of Lecanicillium longisporum infection on the behaviour of the green peach aphid Myzus persicae

“…Relocation of mycosed aphids on host plants has been shown in a number of studies (e.g. Roy et al, 2002). The present work is the first to quantify such mobility and link it to a particular stage in mycosis.…”

BIZARRE INTERACTIONS AND ENDGAMES: Entomopathogenic Fungi and Their Arthropod Hosts

“…However, pea aphids, A. pisum, infected with Pandora neoaphidis were found on the undersides of leaves or had left alfalfa plants and were found in the surrounding habitat more frequently than were healthy aphids (48). Distribution of infected versus healthy pea aphids at lower densities on bean plants was not significantly different (85), although there was a trend toward more infected aphids at mid-height and lower positions on plants (30.0%) compared with healthy aphids (12.5%). The less mobile aphid Sitobion avenae on wheat did change feeding height when infected (85).…”

“…Distribution of infected versus healthy pea aphids at lower densities on bean plants was not significantly different (85), although there was a trend toward more infected aphids at mid-height and lower positions on plants (30.0%) compared with healthy aphids (12.5%). The less mobile aphid Sitobion avenae on wheat did change feeding height when infected (85). Changes in location of infected A. pisum could be a fungal-induced modification for optimizing spore dispersal and transmission.…”

Mesocosm experiments to assess the transmission of Pandora neoaphidis within simple and mixed field margins and over the crop-margin interface

“…It is possible that the movement of P. neoaphidis-infected aphids from vetch (a trailing plant) to plants such as nettle and wild radish (upright plants) prior to sporulation may have been induced by the fungus to enhance transmission. Indeed, summit disease (movement to elevated positions prior to death to maximise fungal transmission on air currents) is a common occurrence in arthropods infected with entomopathogenic fungi and has been shown to occur in P. neoaphidis-infected Sitobion avenae (F.) which feed at a greater height than uninfected aphids (Roy et al, 2002;Roy et al, 2006). Alternatively, migration (or adaptive suicide) from host to non-host plants may have occurred to prevent within colony transmission of the fungus as previously observed for P. neoaphidis-infected aphids (Jensen et al, 2001).…”