C-4-1

RESPONSES OF APHIDS TO PLANT ODOURS.

J. Hans Visser and Paul G.M. Piron
Research Institute for Plant Protection IPO-DLO,
P.O. Box 9060, NL-6700 GW Wageningen, The Netherlands


Although in the older literature aphids have been considered “odour-blind”,they possess on their antennae a complete set of olfactory sensilla consistingof the distal and proximal primary rhinaria on segments six and five, respectively,and, in winged aphids, an array of secondary rhinaria on segments threeand sometimes on four and five. The response profile of the set of olfactoryreceptors in aphids was recorded by electroantennograms to fatty acid metabolites,N-,S-containing compounds, benzene derivatives, and all kind of terpenes.Besides, we studied the variation in response profiles depending on aphidspecies, clone, form and the effect of food source. The aphid species studiedwere the vetch aphid Megoura viciae Buckton, the black bean aphidAphis fabae Scop., the peach-potato aphid Myzus persicae(Sulz.) and the cabbage aphid Brevicoryne brassicae (L.). We designedan open Y-track olfactometer to test the behavioural responses of aphidsto plant odours and components.