Arrest and Aggregation of MaleMyzus persicae(Hemiptera: Aphididae)

Abstract

Male green peach aphids, Myzus persicae (Sulzer), preferred to feed on and to stay longer on peach twigs than on pear, apple, or apricot twigs. However, if extract of peach buds (host plant on which the aphid overwinters) was applied to apple twigs (not a host plant), more males preferred the treated than the untreated twigs. Also, apple twigs treated with live or dead oviparae, virginoparae, or males of M. periscae or with virginoparae of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris), (glued on) attracted more males than untreated twigs. The males always preferred twigs with live oviparae of M. persicae to those with other aphid morphs, but they showed no significant differences in preference for twigs treated with crushed oviparae, mummified aphids, or dead virginoparae of M. persicae , compared with untreated apple twigs. In the absence of females, males made numerous false mating attempts with other males.