Effects of Host Plants on Biology and Life Table Parameters of Aphis spiraecola (Homoptera: Aphididae).

The development, survivorship, longevity, reproduction, and life table parameters of the spirea aphid, Aphis spiraecola Patch, were evaluated at 25°C on seven commonly grown plants (Polyscias crispata (Bull) Merrill cultivar chicken-gizzard aralia, P. scutellaria (Burman) Fosberg, Vibernum suspensum Lindley, grapefruit (Citrus paradisi Macfadyen), rough lemon (C. jambhiri Lushington), pineapple orange [C. sinensis (L.) Osbeck variety pineapple orange], orange jessamine [Murraya paniculata (L.) Jack]) in the laboratory. Spirea aphid failed to survive on orange jessamine. The developmental times for the immature stages ranged from 7.9 d on P. scutellaria to 9.9 d on grapefruit or pineapple orange. The immature survival varied from 92.7% on P. scutellaria to 78.8% on pineapple orange. The average number of nymphs reproduced per female were 42.7, 35.7, 28.7, 22.3, 18.0, and 11.7 on P. crispata, P. scutellaria, V. suspensum, grapefruit, rough lemon, and pineapple orange, respectively. Female adults lived an average of 14.1, 15.3, 12.2, 11.0, 12.0, and 9.3 d on these same hosts. The intrinsic rate of increase (r m) for spirea aphid on P. crispata was highest. Jackknife estimates of r m varied from 0.308 on P. crispata to 0.177 on pineapple orange. The mean population generation time on these hosts ranged from 11.6 to 13.2 d. It was concluded that the ability of spirea aphid to feed and develop on a wide range of host plants increases its chance to infest citrus and thereby spreading the citrus tristeza virus. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]