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Colony orientation and successful defence behaviour in the conifer aphid, Schizolachnus pineti
Author(s) -
Völkl Wolfgang,
Stadler Bernhard
Publication year - 1996
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.1570-7458.1996.tb00782.x
Subject(s) - biology , aphid , parasitoid , scots pine , predator , hymenoptera , predation , ecology , zoology , botany , pinus <genus>
We studied colony structure and body orientation behaviour of Schizolachnus pineti , a specialised aphid feeding on needles of Scots pine. Aphids feeding at the margin of a colony always face towards the centre of the colony, bounding the colony with their legs. This behaviour increased the defence success against the specialised parasitoid ( Pauesia unilachni ) and the specialised predator ( Scymnus nigrinus ). Both enemies had less success when attacking S. pineti from the abdominal site when compared to the front. We assume that the defence orientation displayed by marginally feeding aphids has an adaptive nature and is particularly effective when feeding in a row on linear plant structures such as needles.