 |
|
Aphids are sentinels of climate change
August 07, 2008Aphids are emerging as sentinels of climate change, researchers at BBSRC-supported Rothamsted Research have shown. One of the UK's most damaging aphids - the peach-potato aphid (Myzus persicae) - has been found to be flying two weeks earlier for every 1 degree C rise in mean temperature for January and February combined. This year, the first aphid was caught on 25 April, which is almost four weeks ahead of the 42-year average. This work is reported in BBSRC Business, the quarterly research highlights magazine of BBSRC (the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council).
Dr Richard Harrington of the Rothamsted Insect Survey said: "One of the most noticeable consequences of climate change in the UK is the frequency of mild winters. As a direct result of this, aphids seeking new sources of food are appearing significantly earlier in the year and in significantly higher numbers. We have been studying the seasonal biology of aphids for a long time now and we know that populations can continue to grow over the winter and spring provided that conditions are warm enough. After a warm winter, there are much larger numbers flying and they are hence detected much earlier. This means that there are more aphids flying in spring and early summer, when crops are particularly vulnerable to damage."
Scientists at Rothamsted Research have been monitoring the flying form of all aphid species for 42 years. They use a network of 16 suction traps (12 in England and 4 in Scotland), placed at various sites, to collect a representative sample of all flying insects. The long term data on aphids can be used to understand the wider implications of climate change, and also to prepare for the season ahead by determining the need for and timing of aphid control measures (based on preceding winter temperatures). As well as being important indicators of a changing climate, aphids can cause devastating damage to crops. They extract large amounts of sap, weakening the plant, and also spread plant viruses. In addition, because the sap is very high in sugars the aphids excrete very sticky honeydew, which can encourage the growth of sooty moulds that build up and prevent sunlight from reaching the leaves, causing further weakening.
Professor Nigel Brown, Director of Science and Technology, BBSRC said: "Environmental change is one of the big challenges facing the world today. These long-term data on the seasonal appearance of flying aphids not only show that there are already noticeable changes in the UK climate, but they also provide the knowledge which will help to mitigate the consequences."
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Professor Nigel Brown, Director of Science and Technology, BBSRC said: "Environmental change is one of the big challenges facing the world today. These long-term data on the seasonal appearance of flying aphids not only show that there are already noticeable changes in the UK climate, but they also provide the knowledge which will help to mitigate the consequences."
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Aphids Current Events and Aphids News RSSInsects take a bigger bite out of plants in a higher CO2 world
Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are rising at an alarming rate, and new research indicates that soybean plant defenses go down as CO2 goes up. Elevated CO2 impairs a key component of the plant's defenses against leaf-eating insects, according to the report.
Gene's 'selective signature' aids detection of natural selection in microbial evolution
Scientists at MIT have come up with a mathematical approach for analyzing a protein simultaneously in a set of ecologically distinct species to identify occurrences of natural selection in an organism's evolution.
'Jekyll and Hyde' bacteria offer pest control hope
New research at York has revealed so-called 'Jekyll and Hyde' bacteria, suggesting a novel way to control insect pests without using insecticides.
Plant viruses from past provide ecological clues
Taking the medical history of a grassland may seem a bit esoteric - after all, how sick can grass be? However, scientists have discovered plant viruses from as early as 1917 containing information crucial not only for plant scientists, but for those in ecology, human health and bioterrorism.
Amber specimen captures ancient chemical battle
It appears that chemical warfare has been around a lot longer than poison arrows, mustard gas or nerve weapons - about 100 million years, give or take a little.
Transgenic maize is more susceptible to aphids
The environmental consequences of transgenic crops are the focus of numerous investigations, such as the one published in the journal PloS ONE.
Chickadee, nutchatch presence in conifers increases tree growth, says CU-Boulder study
Chickadees, nuthatches and warblers foraging their way through forests have been shown to spur the growth of pine trees in the West by as much as one-third, according to a new University of Colorado at Boulder study.
In a bug-eat-bug world, researchers are using a unique Chinese import to battle soybean aphids
University of Minnesota scientists are field testing a beneficial insect, a stingless wasp from China also known as Binodoxys communis, that kills soybean aphids. A successful field test would be a major breakthrough in controlling a damaging crop pest.
Aphids make 'chemical weapons' to fight off killer ladybirds
Cabbage aphids have developed an internal chemical defence system which enables them to disable attacking predators by setting off a mustard oil 'bomb'.
Thale cress goes on the defensive
Thale cress has a complicated defence technique against insects and microorganisms that use the plant as a source of food.
More Aphids Current Events and Aphids News Articles
 | Aphids on the World's Crops: An Identification and Information Guide, 2nd Edition by R. L. Blackman, V. F. Eastop Fully revised and updated, this new edition of 'Aphid's on the World's Crops' is the only publication to provide non-specialist workers wherever they are in the world, with an identification guide and an information source on one of the main groups of agriculturally important insects. It incorporates: * The latest information on the biology and distribution of both major and minor aphid... |
 | Aphids on the World's Herbaceous Plants and Shrubs (2 Volume Set) by Roger L. Blackman, Victor F. Eastop Aphids are well-known as pests of agriculture, horticulture and forestry, but they are also one of the most biologically interesting groups of plant-feeding insects, and thus have attracted the attention of biologists in many research fields such as ecology, biodiversity, physiology, behaviour and genetics. Following the successful format of previous books on the world's aphids by the... |
 | Aphids As Crop Pests Aphids represent one of the world's major insect pests, causing serious economic damage to a range of temperate and tropical crops. These range from grain crops and brassicas to potato, cotton, vegetable and fruit crops. This book provides a definitive reference volume on the biology of aphids, their pest status, and how to control them. It includes approximately 30 specially commissioned... |
 | Aphids : Volume 2C: Aphids (World Crop Pests) by Author Unknown Hardbound... |
| Anna Aphid by Christine Goppel A tiny aphid named Anna lives on a big green leaf with her family. But Anna is different from the other aphids. She is curious to discover what lies beyond their green world. So Anna sets off to explore. In an entertaining visual guessing game, we see things from Anna's point of view. An ordinary bedroom is a vast, uncharted universe. A light bulb is a burning sun, a baby's head, the moon. The... | |
 | Aphid Ecology - An optimization approach, Second Edition by A.F.G. Dixon Aphids are the most important of the sap sucking insects, they are also major pests of agriculture, horticulture and forestry. This book covers the evolution of aphids and their development in relation to specific plants. Optimization is used to explain how modes of feeding and reproduction have affected their size and population structure and led to a very close and specific association... |
| Aphids on the World's Trees: An Identification and Information Guide (Cabi Publishing) by R. L. Blackman, V. F. Eastop This book provides a complete, species-by-species account of all of the world's tree-dwelling aphids. It can be used both as an identification guide by entomologists and taxonomists and as a resource in studies of biosystematics and biodiversity. It systematically covers 1,758 aphid species, giving detailed host lists and illustrated keys for the aphids colonizing each tree... | |
| Great Garden Fix-Its: Organic Remedies for Everything from Aphids to Weeds (Rodale Organic Gardening Books) Looking for fast solutions to all your gardening problems? Then open up the pages of Great Garden Fix-Its, where you'll find advice that really works-- straight from backyard gardeners like yourself. Packed with easy to read, useful tips, Great Garden Fix-Its is sure to become the book you turn to year after year for problem solving. Some of the simple hints you'll discover include how to:* Keep... | |
| Aphids on leafy vegetables: How to control them (Farmers' bulletin / United States Department of Agriculture) by W. J Reid | |
| Control of aphids injurious to orchard fruits, currant, gooseberry and grape (Farmers' bulletin / United States Department of Agriculture) by A. L Quaintance |
| © 2008 BrightSurf.com |