Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-l7hp2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T12:42:12.262Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

BIOLOGY OF THE CORN LEAF APHID, RHOPALOSIPHUM MAIDIS (HOMOPTERA: APHIDIDAE), IN SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2012

W.H. Foott
Affiliation:
Research Station, Agriculture Canada, Harrow, Ontario

Abstract

There was no evidence that the corn leaf aphid, Rhopalosiphum maidis (Fitch), can overwinter in southwestern Ontario. An alate with a small colony of nymphs was found on 26 April, indicating that migration from the south starts early in the spring. Early migrants colonized winter barley, but not winter oats, rye, or wheat. Colonization on field corn did not occur until over a month after plant emergence. Only small numbers of alatae initiated infestations on corn and the large variation in size of aphid infestations observed at pollination was due to differences in the longevity and fecundity of these few early attackers. The whorl leaves which enclosed the tassel before pollination provided a very favorable environment for rapid development of the aphids. Trapping of alatae in yellow pans of water at the periphery of a corn field in the fall showed that a minimum temperature of 13°C was required for flight. At a constant temperature of 25.5°C and a light:dark photoperiod of 14:10 h, the average prereproductive, reproductive, and postreproductive periods for 29 aphids were 5.9, 15.8, and 9.6 days, respectively. The average number of nymphs produced/female was 68.2.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 1977

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adams, J.B. and Drew, M. E.. 1964 a. Grain aphids in New Brunswick. I. Field development on oats. Can. J. Zool. 42: 735740.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Adams, J.B. 1964 b. Grain aphids in New Brunswick. II Comparative development in the greenhouse of three aphid species on four kinds of grasses. Can. J. Zool. 42: 741744.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Belvett, V.B., Sun, R.-Y., and Robinson, A.G.. 1965. Observations on laboratory rearing of grain aphids (Homoptera: Aphididae). Can. J. Zool. 43: 619622.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Berry, R.E. 1969. Effects of temperature and light on takeoff of Rhopalosiphum maidis and Schizaphis graminum in the field (Homoptera: Aphididae). Ann. ent. Soc. Am. 62: 11761184.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blair, B.D. 1970. Aphids collected from a Scioto County, Ohio, corn field and areas bordering the field. J. econ. Ent. 63: 10991101.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cartier, J.J. 1957. On the biology of the corn leaf aphid. J. econ. Ent. 50: 110112.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Evans, D.A. and Medler, J.T.. 1968. Laboratory investigations of flight activity and production of alatae in the corn leaf aphid, Rhopalosiphum maidis (Homoptera: Aphididae). Ann. ent. Soc. Am. 61: 6064.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Everly, R.T. 1967. Review of factors affecting the abundance of the corn leaf aphid. Proc. Indiana Acad. Sci. 76: 260264.Google Scholar
Foott, W.H. and Timmins, P.R.. 1973. Effects of infestations by the corn leaf aphid, Rhopalosiphum maidis (Homoptera: Aphididae), on field corn in southwestern Ontario. Can. Ent. 105: 449458.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Forbes, S.A. 1905. The corn leaf-louse. In 23rd rep. St. Entomologist Illinois, pp. 123133.Google Scholar
Hassan, M.S. 1957. Studies on the morphology and biology of Aphis maidis Fitch, in Egypt. Bull. Soc. ent. Egypte 41: 199211.Google Scholar
Itô, Y. 1960. Ecological studies on population increase and habitat segregation among barley aphids. Bull. natn. Inst. agric. Sci. Tokyo (C) 11: 45130.Google Scholar
Itô, Y. and Hirano, C.. 1963. Population growth, longevity and fecundity of Rhopalosiphum maidis Fitch (Homoptera: Aphididae), on wheat and barley seedlings grown under different nutritional conditions. Japanese J. appl. Ent. Zool. 7: 132139.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kieckhefer, R.W. 1975. Field populations of cereal aphids in South Dakota spring grains. J. econ. Ent. 68: 161164.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kieckhefer, R.W. and Derr, R.F.. 1967. Test of toxicity of seedling corn plant extract to the corn leaf aphid. J. econ. Ent. 60: 597598.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Medler, J.T. and Ghosh, A.K.. 1968. Apterous aphids in water, wind and suction traps. J. econ. Ent. 61: 267270.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Neiswander, C.R. and Triplehorn, C.R.. 1961. Differential resistance of dent corn strains to the corn leaf aphid, Rhopalosiphum maidis (Fitch), in Ohio. Res. Bull. Ohio agric. Exp. Stn. 898.Google Scholar
Orlob, G.B. 1961. Biology and taxonomy of cereal and grass aphids in New Brunswick (Homoptera: Aphididae). Can. J. Zool. 39: 495503.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Orlob, G.B. and Medler, J.T.. 1961. Biology of cereal and grass aphids in Wisconsin (Homoptera). Can. Ent. 93: 703714.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Painter, R.H. and Pathak, M.D.. 1960. The distinguishing features and significance of the four biotypes of the corn leaf aphid, Rhopalosiphum maidis (Fitch). Proc. 11th int. Congr. Ent., pp. 111115.Google Scholar
Peterson, A.G., Bates, J.D., and Saini, R.S.. 1969. Spring dispersal of some leafhoppers and aphids. J. Minn. Acad. Sci. 35: 98102.Google Scholar
Post, R.L. and Olson, G.H.. 1961. The relative abundance and seasonal appearance of cereal aphids on barley and grasses. Proc. N. Cent. Br. ent. Soc. Am. 16: 3739.Google Scholar
Robinson, A.G. and Hsu, S.-J.. 1963. Host plant records and biology of aphids on cereal grains and grasses in Manitoba (Homoptera: Aphididae). Can. Ent. 95: 134137.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Saugstad, E.S. and Everly, R.T.. 1967. Overwintering populations of the corn leaf aphid on barley and grasses in Indiana. Proc. N. Cent. Br. ent. Soc. Am. 22: 6973.Google Scholar
Slykhuis, J.T., Zillinsky, F.J., Young, M., and Richards, W.R.. 1959. Notes on the epidemiology of barley yellow dwarf virus in eastern Ontario in 1959. Suppl. Pl. Dis. Reptr. 262: 317322.Google Scholar