Two sorghum pests split the plant into separate feeding turfs
Gui ZM, Zang LS, Shen Z, Zhao RN, Sun JW
Crop Improvement
If you grow sorghum or any grain crop, knowing that different aphid pests target young versus old leaves means pest control can be timed and targeted instead of blanket-sprayed across the whole plant.
Two types of aphids attack sorghum plants, but they don't compete for the same real estate. One species does best feasting on the young, tender leaves at the plant's growing tip, laying more eggs and living longer there, while the other species thrives on the older, tougher leaves lower down. Researchers tracked their feeding with tiny electrical sensors and found the picky eaters aren't just being fussy: their mouths physically struggle more on the leaf type they dislike, which explains why each bug sticks to its own leafy neighborhood.
Key Findings
Rhopalosiphum maidis performed best on heart (young) leaves, living 25.62 days and producing 51.8 nymphs, but performed poorly on old leaves
Melanaphis sacchari showed the opposite pattern, thriving on old leaves while showing the lowest fitness on heart leaves
Electrical penetration graph recordings showed R. maidis faced the least mechanical resistance while probing heart leaves, letting it quickly find suitable feeding sites
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists found that two aphid species attacking sorghum crops prefer different parts of the plant: one thrives on young, tender 'heart' leaves while the other prefers older leaves, a discovery that could help breeders design more targeted pest-resistant crops.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Niche differentiation of two sorghum aphid species: Host leaf ontogeny drives divergent feeding behavior and fitness.
Aphids are major pests threatening sorghum production, and their population dynamics and feeding behavior are profoundly influenced by host developmental stages and leaf traits. To clarify niche di...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
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