Flight Performance of the Soybean Aphid, Aphis glycines (Hemiptera: Aphididae) Under Different Temperature and Humidity Regimens

Abstract

The soybean aphid, Aphis glycines (Matsumura), is native to eastern Asia and has recently invaded North America, where it is currently the most important insect pest of soybeans. The soybean aphid has spread rapidly within North America, presumably through a combination of active and passive (wind-aided) ßight. Here, we studied the active ßight potential of A. glycines under a range of environmental conditions using an aphid ßight mill. Winged (alate) A. glycines were tested on a specially designed 32-channel, computer-monitored ßight mill system. Aphids that were 12Ð24 h old exhibited the strongest ßight behavior, with average ßight durations of 3.3Ð 4.1 h, which represented ßight distances of 4.6 Ð5.1 km. After the age of 72 h, A. glycines ßight performance rapidly declined. The optimum temperature range for ßight was 16 Ð28C, whereas optimum relative humidity was 75%. Our Þndings show that A. glycines posseses a fairly strong active ßight aptitude (ability and inclination) and point to the possibility of ßight initiation under a broad range of environmental conditions. These results have the potential to aid forecasting and management protocols for A. glycines at the landscape level.