Host‐plant mediated interactions between two aphid species

Abstract

Herbivory induces numerous defence reactions in plants, which can in turn alter the plant quality for insects. The potato aphid, Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas), and the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (both Hemiptera: Aphididae), are two important sympatric potato pests in northern France. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a previous infestation of a potato plant, Solanum tuberosum L. (Solanaceae), by M. persicae or M. euphorbiae on the host attractiveness, feeding behaviour, and biological performance of M. euphorbiae subsequently colonising the plant. The preference of aphids was studied with a dual‐choice olfactometer and their feeding behaviour was monitored using the electrical penetration graph technique. Their biological performance was assessed by an in planta bioassay. Non‐infested plants were significantly more attractive to M. euphorbiae than plants pre‐infested by conspecific individuals. Aphids showed a strong reduction in the time spent ingesting phloem sap when feeding on pre‐infested plants. The biological performance of M. euphorbiae was not affected by previous conspecific infestation. Conversely, M. euphorbiae feeding behaviour was not affected on plants previously infested by M. persicae but aphids were more attracted to and had a faster population build‐up on those plants. Our results show that plant response and its effect on M. euphorbiae differed depending on the aphid species previously feeding on the potato plant. This variability in plant response could lead to competition or facilitation between aphids temporally and spatially separated, and promote dispersal under field conditions.

Divergent effects of PVY-infected potato plant on aphids

“…Aphids were reared on potato plants raised under the same conditions as above in a separated growth room. Experiments were conducted with alate aphids synchronized according to Brunissen et al (2009). The DC Electrical Penetration Graph system (Tjallingii 1978) was used to investigate aphid probing behaviour on the abaxial face of the third fully developed leaf of an infected or healthy plant.…”

Community Genetic and Competition Effects in a Model Pea Aphid System

“…Additional work, however, has also shown that competition amongst two heterospecific aphids (Aphis fabae and A. pisum) feeding on a single cultivar of faba bean (Windsor) can change their preference for stem or leaves as a feeding site (Salyk and Sullivan, 1982). More recent studies have demonstrated that previous exposure to aphid herbivory can change the attractiveness of the host plant to subsequent herbivores (Brunissen et al, 2009) and similar effects may have occurred in our system. We suggest that the specific combination of host-plant genotype and the identity of the competitor species may be influencing the susceptibility of the host to P127, which in turn modifies aphid behaviour and choice of feeding site.…”

A Comparative Life-Table Analysis of <I>Sipha flava</I> (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on Two Biofuel Hosts, <I>Miscanthus</I> × <I>giganteus</I> and <I>Saccharum</I> spp.

“…For instance, sorghum susceptibility might increase if the plant was preinfested with aphids. This is associated with a reduction in the crystalline epidermal waxes on plant leaves (Gonzales et al 2002), whereas in most cases, preinfested hosts exhibit induced resistance against subsequent aphid infestations (Gomes et al 2005, Brunissen et al 2009). Future research should focus on responses to S. flava infestations in biofuel hosts.…”