Journal of Insect Behavior (2014) 27, 722-728

Marcy G. Fonseca, Dayane R. Santos and Alexander M. Auad (2014)
Impact of different carbon dioxide concentrations in the olfactory response of Sipha flava (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and its predators
Journal of Insect Behavior 27 (6), 722-728
Abstract: The increasing level CO₂ may altered host plant physiology and hence affect the foraging behavior of herbivore insects and predator. Hence, the aim of this study was provides evidence that host plants grown at different levels of CO₂ can alter the choice behavior of aphid, Sipha flava and their natural enemies, Cycloneda sanguinea and Diomus seminulus. The plant used was Pennisetum purpureum, cultivar Cameron Piracicaba growing in greenhouse (mean value of CO₂ = 440 ppm), climatic chamber with constant value of CO₂ = 500 ppm and climatic chamber with fluctuating CO₂ (mean value = 368 ppm). A glass Y-shape olfactometer was used to verify the insects responses towards elephant grass plants cultivated under different conditions. The aphids were statistically more attracted by plants grown with constant CO₂ level (500 ppm) than by plants grown with fluctuating CO₂ level or plants grown in greenhouse. There was no difference in S. flava preference to non-infested versus infested plants by conspecifics. The predator C. sanguinea did not show difference between plants grown with constant CO₂ level and infested or not with S. flava. However, the predator D. seminulus showed higher preference to plants grown with constant CO₂ level and infested with S. flava. This study showed that the response of S. flava and its predators were affected by plants grown under different levels of CO₂.
(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): Alexander M. Auad

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
environment - cropping system/rotation
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
environment/habitat manipulation

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Sipha flava
Cycloneda sanguinea (predator)	Sipha flava
Diomus seminulus (predator)	Sipha flava