Seasonal changes in the flight apparatus of winged females and sexual males of the aphid Tuberculatus quercicola (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

Abstract

Tuberculatus quercicola (Matsumura) feeds on Quercus dentata Thunberg, and has mutualistic interactions with ants. Tuberculatus quercicola has two winged morphs in its life cycle, winged females appear in summer and sexual males appear in autumn. Previous studies have shown that wing loading (ratio of body volume to wing area) is higher for the winged females, because of ant attendance, resulting in extremely low dispersal. It is known that the nutritional quality of host plants is high in spring and autumn, when leaves are growing or senescent, and low in summer when leaves are mature. This study examined the effects of seasonal plant deterioration on the development of flight apparatus (wing size and flight muscle) of winged females and males. Moreover, field intercept traps were used to examine the extent of dispersal of males. The results showed that seasonal plant deterioration affected development of the flight apparatus of winged females, particularly flight muscle. Flight muscle development was significantly higher in winged males in autumn than in winged females. However, winged males were not caught in any of the traps. The different resource allocation to the flight apparatus of winged females and males is discussed.