ASSESSMENT OF COTTON AS AN ALTERNATIVE HOST PLANT FOR THE BROWN CITRUS APHID, TOXOPTERA CITRICIDA (HOMOPTERA: APHIDIDAE)
Abstract
Seven populations of Toxoptera citricida (Kirkaldy) were sampled in central Florida sweet orange groves in 2001. All populations contained individuals that accepted cotton seedlings as a host in a no-choice situation; many of these matured and deposited nymphs that also developed and became reproductive on the same plant. Significant differences were noted among populations with respect to the proportion of nymphs accepting, maturing, and ultimately reproducing on cotton. Differences in aphid survival were largely a function of differences in host plant acceptance, rather than differential mortality on the plant. A significant proportion of the apterous adults maturing on cotton abandoned the plant without reproducing. Second and third instars transferred from laboratory colonies maintained on sweet orange were more accepting of cotton than were either first or fourth instars. Apterous adults accepted cotton at rates similar to second and third instars. Alate adults settled on cotton seedlings in greenhouse choice experiments and probed the plants, but none deposited nymphs. Alatae that matured on cotton readily accepted citrus for feeding and reproduction. It is concluded that cotton may be useful as a factitious host plant for rearing T. citricida in the laboratory, but field planted cotton is unlikely to serve as a reservoir of the aphid in regions where citrus is grown.View this article in BioOne
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