Resistance to the pink potato aphid, Macrosiphum euphorbiae, in two accessions of Lycopersicon hirsutum f. glabratum

Abstract

Accessions PI 126449 and PI 134417 of wild tomato, Lycopersicon hirsutum f. glabratum C.H. Mull, were assessed for resistance to the pink potato aphid, Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas). Aphid populations under field and greenhouse conditions were significantly lower on the L. hirsutum f. glabratum plants compared to L. esculentum. Removal of trichome glands and exudates by wiping the leaf surface resulted in a dramatic decrease in aphid mortality. Compared to L. esculentum, aphid behavior on the L. hirsutum f. glabratum plants was characterized by 40 to 52% abandonment, delay in time for first probe, reduction of number and duration of probes and decrease in the total proportion of time probing. Removal of the trichomes reduced the percentage of abandonment and increased the total proportion of time probing. Density and type of glandular trichomes varied among plant lines and on adaxial and abaxial leaf surfaces within a line, particularly for the L. hirsutum f. glabratum plants. PI 134417 was, in general, more resistant to the aphids than PI 126449.

Tomato-aphid-hoverfly: a tritrophic interaction incompatible for pest management

“…Trichomes are usually implicated in the second trophic level by increasing pest mortality, as demonstrated within numerous host plant models including tomatoes (e.g. Johnson 1956;Musetti and Neal 1997) and potatoes (e.g. Gibson 1971Gibson , 1974.…”

Leaf Pubescence Affects Distribution and Abundance of Generalist Slug Caterpillars (Lepidoptera: Limacodidae)

“…Caterpillars were more likely to avoid pubescent leaves or leaves from which pubescence had been experimentally removed. In turn, they fed more on nonpubescent leaves or leaves from which pubescence had been removed (see also Musetti and Neal 1997, Malakar and Tingey 2000, Fordyce and Agrawal 2001, suggesting that host plant traits (pubescence) play a primary role in determining patterns of host use in this assemblage. The degree to which the observed patterns are determined by oviposition preference for nonpubescent leaves versus differential survival on leaves that differ in pubescence is unknown at this time.…”

Aphid-plant interactions: a review

“…Upon arrival on the plant, the first feature affecting the selection behavior of an aphid is the presence of trichomes. Regardless their structure, whether they are simple or glandular, their density can heavily affect the success of aphid attack (Musetti and Neal 1997). Indeed, most of the resistant varieties of cultivated plants as well as many of their wild relatives are characterized by trichomes that hamper aphid movements and stylet insertion (Bin 1979) (Figure 2a).…”