Control Effects of Short-Term Heatwaves on a Holocyclic Aphid

TL;DR

Short-term heatwaves significantly affect the development and reproduction of soybean aphids, potentially offering a natural way to control their populations.

Contribution

This study demonstrates the impact of short-term heatwaves on the life cycle of Aphis glycines, suggesting a novel method for pest control.

Findings

Exposure to 35°C heatwaves increased nymph stage duration and reduced adult lifespan and body size.

Heatwaves decreased adult reproduction and fecundity compared to standard conditions.

Heatwave exposure altered offspring sex ratios, increasing gynoparae and decreasing males.

Abstract

When holocyclic aphids, Aphis glycines Matsumura, were exposed to a diurnal of 35 °C lasting for seven days, the development, reproduction, and morphogenesis were affected significantly. These results are important for predicting the dynamics of A. glycines in this region. This also provides evidence that shows short-term heatwaves are useful for controlling the occurrence of A. glycines.

The soybean aphid, A. glycines, is an important soybean pest. Harbin, in the Heilongjiang Province, is an area with increasing temperatures in China that faces frequent short-term heatwaves. In this study, the development, reproduction, and morph differentiation of A. glycines have been studied when they were exposed to diurnal at 35 °C for seven days, beginning at different developmental stages. The nymph stage duration of A. glycines was longer, the adult lifespans and total lifespans were shorter, and their bodies were smaller when exposed to a diurnal of 35 °C beginning at the 1st to 4th stadium. The adult reproduction period was shorter, and the adult fecundity and intrinsic rate of increase were smaller than those of aphids reared at a diurnal of 25 °C. A higher and lower proportion of gynoparae and males were deposited as offspring on day 13 by adults when exposed to diurnal at 35 °C, beginning at the 1st to 4th stadium, respectively, than those of aphids reared at a constant of 20 °C. These results are important for predicting the dynamics of A. glycines in Harbin soybeans. This provides evidence that short-term heatwaves are probably useful for controlling A. glycines, by inhibiting development and male morphogenesis.

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