Annals of the Entomological Society of America (2015) 108, 762-770

N.Y. Zagvazdina, T.M. Paris, B.J. Udell, M. Stanislauskas, S. Mcneill, S.A. Allan and R.W. Mankin (2015)
Effects of atmospheric pressure trends on calling, mate-seeking, and phototaxis of Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Liviidae)
Annals of the Entomological Society of America 108 (5), 762-770
Abstract: Insects and other animals sometimes modify behavior in response to changes in atmospheric pressure, an environmental cue that can provide warning of potentially injurious windy and rainy weather. To determine if Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Liviidae) calling, mate-seeking, and phototaxis behaviors were affected by atmospheric pressure, we conducted analyses to correlate responsiveness with pressure trends over periods up to 48 h before laboratory bioassays. Mean responsiveness increased or decreased depending on the magnitudes and directions of pressure changes measured over different periods up to 24 h before bioassays, and changed differently in calling and mate-seeking bioassays than in phototaxis bioassays. For example, mean responsiveness decreased in mating behavior bioassays but increased in phototaxis bioassays when atmospheric pressure changed more than one standard deviation over a 24-h period. Such a result is consistent with a hypothesis that there may be survival benefits to focusing energy on dispersal or migration rather than mating after occurrences of sustained, unusual pressure changes. A finding that mean phototactic responses increased when pressure decreased over 9–24-h periods before bioassays is potentially of practical interest. More knowledge about the effects of atmospheric pressure and other environmental variables on behavior can lead to improved models of psyllid movement or other pest management tools as well as to improved timing of application of pest management tools.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Richard W. Mankin

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Diaphorina citri