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The effect of temperature and wind on the flight activity of cereal aphids
Author(s) -
WALTERS K. F. A.,
DIXON A. F. G.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
annals of applied biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1744-7348
pISSN - 0003-4746
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7348.1984.tb05582.x
Subject(s) - sitobion avenae , rhopalosiphum padi , alate , aphid , biology , pest analysis , agronomy , horticulture , homoptera , botany , aphididae
SUMMARY The lower temperature threshold for take‐off in Sitobion avenae obtained from an analysis of daily 12·2 m suction trap catches was 16°C. In the laboratory, the take‐off threshold for S. avenae was 17·5°C in increasing temperatures, but 19°C when aphids were kept at constant temperatures for a short period of time. The equivalent thresholds were both 20·5°C for Metopolophium dirhodum. Over a period of 16 h no S. avenae took‐off from plants at 10°C, 70% at 15°C and all within 16 h at 20°C. It was concluded that suction trap catches can be used to compare the temperature thresholds for take‐off of both different species and morphs of a species of aphid. Emigrants of Rhopalosiphum padi , but not of M. dirhodum , took‐off at a higher temperature than the alate exules. High winds were found to delay but not inhibit take‐off both in the field, and in the laboratory, using both artificial and plant substrates. All aphids eventually flew, even from favourable hosts. It was concluded that adverse weather conditions will delay but not prevent cereal aphid migration in early summer.