Migratory flight behaviour of the pollen beetle Meligethes aeneus.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The field ecology of the pollen beetle Meligethes aeneus and its damaging effects on oilseed rape crops are well understood. However, the flight behaviour of M. aeneus, in particular the drivers for migratory movements across the landscape, is not well studied. We combined three established methodologies - suction traps, vertical-looking radar and high-altitude aerial netting - to demonstrate that M. aeneus flies at a range of altitudes at different points during its active season.

Results

By linking evidence of high-altitude mass migration with immigration of pollen beetles into oilseed rape fields, we were able to 'ground-truth' the results to characterise the seasonal movements of this pest across the landscape.

Conclusion

We demonstrate that this novel

SUBMITTER: Mauchline AL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5434912 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature