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Three‐dimensional analysis of aphid landing behaviour in the laboratory and field
Author(s) -
Storer J. Robert,
Young Stephen,
Hardie JiM.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
physiological entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.693
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1365-3032
pISSN - 0307-6962
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-3032.1999.00142.x
Subject(s) - wind speed , airspeed , wind direction , crosswind , meteorology , sinuosity , geodesy , environmental science , wind tunnel , atmospheric sciences , geology , geometry , physics , aerospace engineering , engineering , mathematics
Summary The final second of the landing approach of black bean aphids, Aphis fabae, was analysed in three dimensions using video techniques. A yellow landing platform was placed upwind or downwind from aphids aggregating under a ceiling light in a laboratory wind tunnel with 10, 20, 30, 40 or 50 cm s –1 wind speeds, and up‐tunnel or down‐tunnel in still air. As individual aphids flew to the platform, body orientation (assessed by direct observation) was predominantly into‐wind whether the initial flight direction to the landing platform was upwind or downwind. A greater proportion showed into‐wind body orientation as wind speed increased. Flight track parameters which differed significantly between wind speeds were the track length, linear start to finish distance, linearity index, horizontal ground speed, speed vertical to the ground, vertical turning rate, and horizontal turning rate. The position of the landing platform was important for track length, linear start to finish distance, horizontal ground speed, three‐dimensional turning rate, horizontal turning rate, vertical turning rate, and sinuosity. As wind speed increased above 30 cm s –1 the ground speed became more consistent and indicated considerable variation in air speed to adjust for ground speed. For the majority of aphids there was a strong preference (88%) for into‐wind landings with initial upwind directed flight, while for downwind flights a significant number (55%) of insects reversed initial flight direction and landed into‐wind. Field recorded landings showed that 66% of aphids landed into‐wind and there was a mean bearing to the wind of 71 ± 42°, a similar finding to wind‐tunnel studies.