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Field studies on colour preferences of Ctenarytaina thysanura in Tasmanian boronia farms
Author(s) -
Mensah R. K.,
Madden J. L.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
entomologia experimentalis et applicata
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.765
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1570-7458
pISSN - 0013-8703
DOI - 10.1111/j.1570-7458.1992.tb01600.x
Subject(s) - magenta , biology , cyan , hue , hemiptera , white (mutation) , reflectivity , enamel paint , attraction , botany , horticulture , optics , physics , philosophy , dentistry , gene , inkwell , composite material , medicine , biochemistry , linguistics , materials science
Field tests on attraction of Ctenarytaina thysanura (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) adults to different coloured 30 × 30 cm sticky traps revealed a preference for yellow. Among the enamel colours tested, more psyllids were captured on yellow traps followed by green, then blue and least on red, cyan and magenta. Dilution of yellow enamel with 50% white (1Y:1W) and 75% white (1Y:3W) to produce yellow‐white hues resulted in a significant decrease in psyllid capture indicating that the psyllids response to yellow was one of positive attraction and could suggest true colour discrimination. Reflectance spectra of painted surfaces of the enamel colours and also yellow to white hues indicated that psyllid capture rates were directly related to the proportion of light reflected in the 500–560 nm region. The biological basis of the observed C. thysanura response may be that yellow is the most intensely reflective colour in the general part of the spectrum for leaves which reflect most light in the 500–600 nm (peak 550 nm) range.