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Q&A ViewAttendees 5

Plant-Insect Ecosystems

10-Minute Paper

P-IE: General Ecology and Genetics

The influence of light regimes and circadian rhythms on aphid feeding behavior

Sunday, October 31, 2021
8:48 AM - 9:00 AM MT
Location: Colorado Convention Center, Meeting Room 103-105
In-Person

    Presenting Author(s)

  • Daniel Kunk

    PhD Student
    Colorado State University
    Fort Collins, Colorado

Circadian rhythms of insect pests and their host plants influence the outcome of their interactions. However, knowledge of these interactions in agriculturally important crops and their pests is lacking. Here we sought to understand how the circadian clock in aphids (Rhopalosiphum padi L.) influences their performance and feeding behavior on bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Chinese Spring). We determined the feeding behaviors of R. padi on wheat using the electrical penetration graph technique (EPG). The influence of diurnal rhythms on plants as determined by comparing aphid behaviors on plants and aphids entrained on a 12 h light/dark cycle vs. plants and aphid entrained to a constant light regime. In a second experiment, the influence of the host diurnal rhythms was eliminated by determining R. padi feeding behavior on artificial diet in light/dark and constant light conditions. The outcomes of this experiment represent a first step towards understanding the role of the aphid’s circadian clock in regulating feeding behaviors.