Visual responses of flying aphids and their chemical modification

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ABSTRACT. Adult winged forms of Aphis fabae Scop., the spring migrants (fundatrigeniae; alate virginoparae), the summer migrants (alate virginoparae) and the autumn migrants (gynoparae), were flown in an automated vertical wind tunnel, with a small green target presented every 60 s. On average, targeted flight developed in the spring and summer migrants after 19 and 15 min, respectively. However, in autumn migrants targeted flight occurred after 184 min of flight. No evidence of target approach was found up to 30 min prior to this time, although some movement towards the target was observed in the 30 min before the first response of autumn migrants, suggesting that a gradual change from migratory to targeted flight occurred. No correlation was found between aphid weight and the time to first response for spring or summer migrants, but a positive correlation was found for autumn migrants. Flight patterns of autumn migrants, in the absence of a target, are described and compared with flight patterns previously reported for summer migrants.

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 83%

Migratory and targeted flight in seasonal forms of the black bean aphid, Aphis fabae

Nottingham

Hardie

1989

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“…This approach has been adopted in laboratory experiments on the black-bean aphid, Aphis fabae Scop. (David & Hardie, 1988;Hardie et al, 1989;Nottingham & Hardie, 1989), where flight was categorized by the demonstration of qualitative differences between migratory and targetedflight (foraging) behaviour. As already mentioned, whether a similar behavioural difference underlies the tetheredflight activity of noctuids, and whether it can be used experimentally to identlfy migratory flight, remains to be determined.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The reproduction‐flight syndrome and the inheritance of tethered‐flight activity in the cotton‐bollworm moth, Heliothis armigera

Colvin

Gatehouse

1993

Abstract. To test the hypothesis that the flight activity of Heliothis armigera (Hiibner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) conforms to the ‘oogenesis‐fiight syndrome’, female moths from India and Malawi were flight tested on nights 2, 4 and 6 after eclosion, using a tethered‐flight technique. Maximum flight activity in the Indian strain occurred on night 2, that of the Malawian strain was not significantly different on the three nights of flight. This difference is explained by the Indian females reaching reproductive maturity c. 48 h before the Malawian females. The existence of a ‘reproduction‐flight syndrome’ was confirmed by flight testing males and females of different maturity status on the fourth night after eclosion. Immature moths flew significantly more than did either mature‐virgin or mature‐mated moths. The inheritance of tethered‐flight activity in a late‐maturing line of Malawian H. armigera was investigated. Significant estimates of heritability, by offspring on mid‐parent regressions, were obtained for both the total flight time (0.39 æ 0.083) and the longest flight (0.15 ± 0.058). The significance of such tethered‐flight data to noctuid migration in the field is discussed, and the conclusion drawn that the current experimental design does not index migratory flight satisfactorily.

“…Flight chamber studies have previously revealed different flight behaviours in seasonal forms of the black bean aphid, Aphis fabae, with autumn migrants flying longer before responding to a plant-mimicking target, and climbing faster than either spring or summer migrants (David & Hardie, 1988;Hardie et al, 1989;Nottingham & Hardie, 1989). These autumn migrants therefore underwent a longer migratory flight (Distanz$ug; Moericke, 1955) before the onset of attacking flight (Befallsflug; Moericke, 1955), the latter being equivalent to targeted flight in wind tunnel studies (Kennedy & Ludlow, 1974;David & Hardie, 1988).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Flight behaviour of the bird cherry aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi

Nottingham

Hardie

Tatchell

1991

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Seasonal winged forms of the bird cherry aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi L., were flown in an automated flight chamber. During their maiden flights, autumn migrants (gynoparae) had a greater initial rate of climb than summer (exules) and spring migrants (emigrants). Autumn migrants, presented with a laterally‐positioned green‐illuminated target for 2.5 s during each minute of flight, flew for a longer period before responding to the target (110 min) than summer migrants (36 min), while spring migrants responded after an intermediate time (72 min). This period is equivalent to the migratory phase of flight. The summer migrants were maximally responsive to targets illuminated by green monochromatic light (X, 555 nm). Targets illuminated with ultraviolet (γλ 360 nm) were attractive during the migratory and green‐responsive phases of flight, but infrared (γλ700 nm) wavelengths were not attractive. The results are discussed with respect to aphid behaviour in the field.