Environmental Entomology (2008) 37, 1264-1271
Zhi-Hong Huang, Ming-Guang Feng, Xue-Xin Chen and Shu-Sheng Liu (2008)
Pathogenic fungi and parasitoids of aphids present in air captures of migratory alates in the low-latitude plateau of Yunnan, China
Environmental Entomology 37 (5), 1264-1271
Abstract: To survey fungal pathogens and parasitoids of aphids in the low-latitude plateau of Yunnan, southwest China, 3,553 migratory alates of Brevicoryne brassicae, Lipaphis erysimi, and Myzus persicae were attracted to a yellow-plus-plant trap from air during a full-year period and individually reared on cabbage leaves for 7-14 d at 18-22°C and L:D 12:12. Among the trapped alates, 19.2% were killed by 10 species of aphid-pathogenic fungi after survival of 2.3 d (range, 1-7 d). Another 2.8% were mummified by the wasps Aphidius gifuensis, Diaeretiella rapae, Ephedrus plagiator, and Aphelinus mali after survival of 4.9 d (range, 1-11 d). Most of the mycosed alates (77.8%) died from Entomophthorales predominated by Pandora neoaphidis (42.7%) and Zoophthora radicans (14.5%), followed by P. nouryi, Neozygites fresenii, Conidiobiolus spp., Entomophthora planchoniana, and Z. aphidis in decreasing frequencies. A mitosporic fungus, Lecanicillium lecanii, was found frequently in L. erysimi alates trapped in rainy season. However, B. brassicae alates captured in dry season were infected or parasitized very occasionally. The predeath fecundity of the infected or parasitized alates warranted successful colonization on plants, although greatly reduced, and was well shown by the fitted probability for a given fecundity per capita and the increasing mean size of their progeny colonies. Contagious transmission of the alate-borne mycosis in most of the colonies caused high progeny mortalities within 14 d. The results highlight for the first time the diversity of aphid pathogens and the spread of both pathogens and parasitoids with host dispersal flight in the low-latitude plateau.
(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): Xue-Xin Chen, Shu-Sheng Liu
Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
surveys/distribution/isolation
transmission/dispersal
