Dropping behaviour of pea aphid nymphs increases their development time and reduces their reproductive capacity as adults.

ABSTRACT: Background. Many aphid species, including the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum, exhibit a behaviour where they drop or fall from their host plant, a commonly used strategy to avoid predation, parasitism or physical disturbance. We hypothesised that there was a physiological non-consumptive cost due to such dropping behaviour because aphids would expend energy re-establishing themselves on a host plant and also lose feeding time. Methods. We evaluated this non-consumptive cost by determining the development time and reproductive potential of pea aphids that whilst developing as nymphs had regularly dropped to the ground following dislodgment from their host plant. Using a microcosm approach, in a replicated and balanced laboratory experiment, we caused aphid dropping behaviour by tapping the p

SUBMITTER: Agabiti B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4974950 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature