Survival and Feeding Rates of Four Aphid Species (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on Various Sucrose Concentrations in Diets

Different concentrations of sucrose were used to investigate how survival and feeding was affected in four species of aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae). Seven sucrose concentrations were evaluated in feeding chambers fitted with parafilm membranes and infested with nymphs of Aphis glycines Matsumura, Diuraphis noxia Kurdjumov, Myzus persicae Sulzer, or Schizaphis graminum Rondani at 25 °C and a photoperiod of 14:10 (L:D) h. Survival on each diet was recorded 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 d. Diet volumes (μl) consumed and amounts of honeydew produced were then determined. Aphid survival differed significantly by concentration, time (d), and aphid species. Aphis glycines survival was highest (83.8%) on 30% sucrose although percent survival in the 70's occurred on concentrations ranging from 15-25%. Diuraphis noxia survival was highest on the 15 and 20% sucrose concentrations. Survival for Myzus persicae was optimal on 20% sucrose (92%) but did not differ that much (5%) on concentrations of 15-35%. Schizaphis graminum survival (93.0-93.6%) was highest on sucrose concentrations ranging from 20-30% sucrose. Myzus persicae and S. graminum, which feed on a wide-range of host plants, were overall more adapted to feeding on a wider range of sucrose concentrations than the more host-restricted aphid species, A. glycines. Diet consumption by A. glycines did not vary on the sucrose concentrations, but D. noxia and M. persicae exhibited increased consumption on diets that provided optimal survival. Results will aid in the design of short-term studies using sucrose-only diets to evaluate effects of bioactive materials on aphid survival for up to 11 d.