Seasonal, altitudinal and host plant-related variation in the abundance of aphids (Insecta, Hemiptera) on sub-Antarctic Marion Island

作者：Abraham Shallin; Somers Michael J; Chown Steven L^*

来源：Polar Biology, 2011, 34(4): 513-520.

DOI：10.1007/s00300-010-0905-x

• Abundance
• Herbivory
• Microclimate
• Phenology
• Sap-sucking

Although aphids are the most species-rich group of invasive alien insects across the Southern Ocean Islands, their biology on the islands is poorly known. In this study, host plant-related, seasonal and altitudinal variation in the abundance of the three aphid species (Macrosiphum euphorbiae, Myzus ascalonicus, Rhopalosiphum padi) found on sub-Antarctic Marion Island is examined. Myzus ascalonicus is the most abundant of the species, reaching densities of c. 2,400 individuals per 1,200 cm(2) on the indigenous Acaena magellanica (Rosaceae) and 479 individuals per 1,200 cm(2) on the indigenous Cotula plumosa (Asteraceae), with lower numbers at elevations up to 300 m and a pronounced seasonal peak in December-February. Macrosiphum euphorbiae occurs on the same plant species in densities of between c. 11 individuals per 1,200 cm(2) on C. plumosa and c. 200 individuals per 1,200 cm(2) on A. magellanica, and with a pronounced summer peak in December. In both species, small numbers of winged forms are found (c. 1-5%), although they are permanently parthenogenetic on the island. Rhopalosiphum padi is also permanently parthenogenetic on the island and likewise shows a December peak in abundance. The current data suggest that low ambient temperatures, which are close to the lower development threshold of R. padi, and other temperate aphid species, limit development in winter, thus leading to a decline in abundance.

• 出版日期2011-4