Abstract
Aphids are frequently found on conifers, but mass outbreaks are seldom reported. On trees stressed by air pollutants the natural resistance can be broken and insect attack combined with pollution stress may promote plant damages. To evaluate effects of air pollution on conifer aphids Scots pine and Norway spruce seedlings have been exposed to gaseous pollutants (O3, SO2 and NO2) in growth chambers. The studied aphid species were Cinara pilicornis Hartig on Norway spruce, C. pinea (Mordv.) and Schizolachnus pineti Fabr. on Scots pine in SO2 fumigations and S. pineti in O3 and NO2 fumigations. C. pilicornis nymphs had peaked dose response to SO2 concentration. Both the first and third instar larvae of C. pilicornis showed highest mean relative growth rate (MRGR) at 100 ppb SO2 concentration. MRGR of C. pinea peaked at 50 and 150 ppb SO2 The response of S. pineti was more inconsistent During fumigation the peak MRGR of S. pineti was at 100 ppb and after exposure at 50 ppb SO2. MRGR of S. pineti nymphs was not significantly affected during fumigation or after the end of fumigation experiment by 100 ppb O3 or 100 ppb NO2 or the mixtures. The results suggest that SO2 affects more distinctively on aphid performance on conifers than O3 or NO2. Especially stem-feeding aphids on spruce can exploit physiological disturbance of host plant under pollution stress.
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Holopainen, J.K., Kainulainen, P. & Oksanen, J. Effects of gaseous air pollutants on aphid performance on Scots pine and Norway spruce seedlings. Water Air Soil Pollut 85, 1431–1436 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00477182
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00477182