Title: Responses of Russian Wheat Aphid (Homoptera: Aphididae) to Aphid Alarm Pheromone
Abstract:In a series of laboratory tests, Russian wheat aphids, Diuraphis noxia (Mordvilko), responded to synthetic aphid alarm pheromone, (E)-β-farnesene, by removing stylets and leaving feeding sites or by c...In a series of laboratory tests, Russian wheat aphids, Diuraphis noxia (Mordvilko), responded to synthetic aphid alarm pheromone, (E)-β-farnesene, by removing stylets and leaving feeding sites or by crawling out of test arenas. Late instars and adults were more responsive than early instars. In dose–response assays, EC50 estimates ranged from 0.94 to 8.95 mg/ml among 3 experiments. In arenas, D. noxia also responded to the proximity of cornicle-damaged nymphs of either the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer), or of D. noxia, which suggests endogenous production of alarm pheromone by D. noxia. Combinations of (E)-β-farnesene and the aphid-pathogenic fungus Paecilomyces fumosoroseus (Wize) Brown & Smith did not enhance aphid mortality relative to controls treated with fungus only. Further studies involving appropriate formulations of (E)-β-farnesene are necessary before practical biorational strategies can be devised combining this semiochemical and biological control agents.Read More