Seasonal Abundance of Aphid-borne Virus Vectors (Homoptera: Aphididae) in Flue-cured Tobacco as Determined by Alighting and Aerial Interception Traps

Abstract

Seasonal phenology of alate aphids migrating into and through flue-cured tobacco fields and use of aphid trap data to identify important aphid species as potential virus vectors were investigated. Aerial interception traps and alighting traps were found to sample different aphid populations. Of the aphid taxa caught, only two, Myzus persicae (Sulzer) and Dactynotus sp., were recorded by both trap types. The first period of alate aphid activity was indicated by both trap types 12–16 days after transplanting of tobacco. A second period of alate activity was indicated by the alighting traps 30–40 days after transplanting. M. persicae , the only tobacco-colonizing aphid in North Carolina, accounted for ca. 90% of the aphids collected in the second period; >95% of the aphids collected during the first period were noncolonizing species. Aerial interception traps did not detect migration of M. persicae into tobacco. The utility of examining the number of aphids alighting per plant, rather than the number of aphids caught per trap, is discussed in relation to actual insect pressure and virus spread.