Flight activity of aphids in Serbia: Investigation by water traps placed in sugar beet fields

Abstract

Plant viruses, and aphids as their vectors, are limiting factors in sugar beet production. Viral plant diseases are currently impossible to treat, but knowing the flight patterns of aphids can help reduce the number of potential virus vectors. Monitoring of aphid flight activities in sugar beet fields was done using yellow water traps from April to the end of November. During the two years of investigation, a total of 5 514 specimens from 75 different taxa were collected. All localities recorded the highest number of individuals at the end of May/beginning of June. This is the period when sugar beet develops intensively, so the risk of virus infection is the highest. The most numerous species were Aphis fabae Scopoli, Aphis spiraecola Patch., Phyllaphis fagi (L.), Myzus persicae (Sulzer), Rhopalosiphum padi (L.), Sitobion avenae (Fabr.), Acyrthosiphon pisum (Haris) and Therioaphis trifolii (Monell). The most important vectors are A. fabae, A. spiraecola and M. persicae. Aphis fabae is a species that feeds on sugar beet and causes significant damage by feeding and its vector activity. Myzus persicae was the most abundant in autumn, A. spiraecola was present throughout the whole flight-monitoring period. Among the caught aphids, twelve species alien to Europe were collected.