rośliny-i-grzyby: Aphid

Evidence: 100 • authority: 72

Aphids are small sap-sucking insects in the family Aphididae of the order Hemiptera. Common names include greenfly and blackfly, although individuals within a species can vary widely in color. The group includes the fluffy white woolly aphids. A typical life cycle involves flightless females giving live birth to female nymphs—who may also be already pregnant, an adaptation scientists call telescoping generations—without the involvement of males. Maturing rapidly, females breed profusely so that the number of these insects multiplies quickly. Winged females may develop later in the season, allowing the insects to colonize new plants. In temperate regions, a phase of sexual reproduction occur…

Evidence: 68 • authority: 72

Woolly aphids (subfamily: Eriosomatinae) are sap-sucking insects that produce a filamentous waxy white covering which resembles cotton or wool. The adults are winged and move to new locations where they lay egg masses. The nymphs often form large cottony masses on twigs, for protection from predators. Woolly aphids occur worldwide. Many of the numerous species have only one host plant species, or alternating generations on two specific hosts. They have been known to cause botanical damage and are often considered a pest. While most damage is minor, they can spread plant diseases and fungi. Some species can produce galls as well. In flight they have been described as looking like "flying mic…

Evidence: 55 • authority: 72

Plant defense against herbivory or host-plant resistance is a range of adaptations evolved by plants which improve their survival and reproduction by reducing the impact of herbivores. Many plants produce secondary metabolites, known as allelochemicals, that influence the behavior, growth, or survival of herbivores. These chemical defenses can act as repellents or toxins to herbivores or reduce plant digestibility. Another defensive strategy of plants is changing their attractiveness. Plants can sense being touched, and they can respond with strategies to defend against herbivores. Plants alter their appearance by changing their size or quality in a way that prevents overconsumption by larg…

Evidence: 54 • authority: 92

Bee (Hymenoptera) bycatch assemblages collected in bowl traps at interfaces of cotton agroecosystems in Alabama.. The cotton aphid Aphis gossypii Glover is a pest of cotton Gossypium hirsutum L. in the southeastern United States, capable of direct feeding damage and as a vector of plant viruses. Dispersal activity in agroecosystems can be monitored passively with the use of colored pan traps. The unintended bycatch of Hymenoptera was noted in these traps during an approximately 1-mo span during the peak blooming period in 2021 and 2022. While native pollinators have been receiving recent attention due to their benefits to crops, native bees in Alabama have not yet been investigated on cotto…

Evidence: 54 • authority: 72

The black bean aphid (Aphis fabae) is a small black insect in the genus Aphis, with a broad, soft body, a member of the order Hemiptera. Other common names include blackfly, bean aphid, and beet leaf aphid. In the warmer months of the year, it is found in large numbers on the undersides of leaves and on the growing tips of host plants, including various agricultural crops and many wild and ornamental plants. Both winged and wingless forms exist, and at this time of year, they are all females. They suck sap from stems and leaves and cause distortion of the shoots, stunted plants, reduced yield, and spoiled crops. This aphid also acts as a vector for viruses that cause plant disease, and the…

Evidence: 54 • authority: 72

A food web is the natural interconnection of food chains and a graphical representation of what-eats-what in an ecological community. Position in the food web, or trophic level, is used in ecology to broadly classify organisms as autotrophs or heterotrophs. This is a non-binary classification; some organisms (such as carnivorous plants) occupy the role of mixotrophs, or autotrophs that additionally obtain organic matter from non-atmospheric sources. The linkages in a food web illustrate the feeding pathways, such as where heterotrophs obtain organic matter by feeding on autotrophs and other heterotrophs. The food web is a simplified illustration of the various methods of feeding that link a…

Evidence: 48 • authority: 72

Beneficial insects (sometimes called beneficial bugs) are any of a number of species of insects that perform valued services like pollination and pest control. The concept of beneficial is subjective and only arises in light of desired outcomes from a human perspective. In agriculture, where the goal is to raise selected crops, insects that hinder the production process are classified as pests, while insects that assist production are considered beneficial. In horticulture and gardening, beneficial insects are often considered those that contribute to pest control and native habitat integration. Encouraging beneficial insects, by providing suitable living conditions, is a pest control strat…

Evidence: 48 • authority: 92

Gene expression of pea aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae) salivary effectors changes based on feeding duration and plant species.. Aphids are agricultural pests that damage crops directly through feeding and indirectly by transmitting plant viruses. Central to their success are salivary effectors, secreted proteins that suppress plant defenses and facilitate nutrient uptake. Nonetheless, numerous salivary effectors remain uncharacterized to date. It is unclear whether effector gene expression patterns vary in response to factors such as feeding duration, aphid age, tissue type, and host plant. To address current knowledge gaps, we reared pea aphids, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris) (Hemiptera: Aphidi…

Evidence: 47 • authority: 72

Tuberolachnus salignus, the giant willow aphid, is a species of aphid, in the genus Tuberolachnus. They are reputed to be the largest aphids, with a body length of up to 5.8mm. First described by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1790, it feeds on many species of willow (Salix species), and has one known host-specific parasite, Pauesia salignae. Tuberolachnus salignus does not require a male for reproduction. Only females have ever been recorded, which suggests that reproduction is parthenogenetic and all offspring produced are genetically identical clones.

Evidence: 47 • authority: 72

The Russian wheat aphid (Diuraphis noxia) is an aphid that can cause significant losses in cereal crops. The species was introduced to the United States in 1986 and is considered an invasive species there. This aphid is pale green and up to 2 mm long. Cornicles are very short, rounded, and appear to be lacking. There is an appendage above the cauda giving the aphid the appearance of having two tails. The saliva of this aphid is toxic to the plant and causes whitish striping on cereal leaves. Feeding by this aphid will also cause the flag leaf to turn white and curl around the head causing incomplete head emergence. Its host plants are cereal grain crops including wheat and barley and to a l…

Evidence: 41 • authority: 92

Duplications and Losses of the Detoxification Enzyme Glycosyltransferase 1 Are Related to Insect Adaptations to Plant Feeding.. Insects have developed sophisticated detoxification systems to protect them from plant secondary metabolites while feeding on plants to obtain necessary nutrients. As an important enzyme in the system, glycosyltransferase 1 (GT1) conjugates toxic compounds to mitigate their harm to insects. However, the evolutionary link between GT1s and insect plant feeding remains elusive. In this study, we explored the evolution of GT1s across different insect orders and feeding niches using publicly available insect genomes. GT1 is widely present in insect species; however, its…

Evidence: 41 • authority: 92

Variation in the Acceptability of Cereal Grasses by <i>Rhopalosiphum padi</i> (L.) (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Aphididae) from Different Geographical Areas in Russia.. Global warming and changes in grass biodiversity increase the vulnerability of agricultural crops to the harmful bird cherry-oat aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi . This study examined 23 wild grass species, wheat, and maize as hosts for R. padi. We studied aphid development on different hosts to estimate reproduction of apterous females and their progeny winging using clones of R. padi originated from the Krasnodar Region (Southern Russia) and two districts of the Leningrad Region (Northwestern Russia). Within the framew…