Impact of Different Carbon Dioxide Concentrations in the Olfactory Response of Sipha flava (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and its Predators

• DOI: 10.1007/s10905-014-9463-3
• Publication Date: 2014-08-26T03:38:16Z
• Authors: Marcy G. Fonseca; Dayane R. Santos; Alexander M. Auad
• Keywords: Olfactometer; Animal ecology

The increasing level CO2 may altered host plant physiology and hence affect the foraging behavior of herbivore insects and predator. Hence, the aim of this study was provides evidence that host plants grown at different levels of CO2 can alter the choice behavior of aphid, Sipha flava and their natural enemies, Cycloneda sanguinea and Diomus seminulus. The plant used was Pennisetum purpureum, cultivar Cameron Piracicaba growing in greenhouse (mean value of CO2 = 440 ppm), climatic chamber with constant value of CO2 = 500 ppm and climatic chamber with fluctuating CO2 (mean value = 368 ppm). A glass Y-shape olfactometer was used to verify the insects responses towards elephant grass plants cultivated under different conditions. The aphids were statistically more attracted by plants grown with constant CO2 level (500 ppm) than by plants grown with fluctuating CO2 level or plants grown in greenhouse. There was no difference in S. flava preference to non-infested versus infested plants by conspecifics. The predator C. sanguinea did not show difference between plants grown with constant CO2 level and infested or not with S. flava. However, the predator D. seminulus showed higher preference to plants grown with constant CO2 level and infested with S. flava. This study showed that the response of S. flava and its predators were affected by plants grown under different levels of CO2.