A suction trap was placed near Guntersville, AL during 3 wheat growing seasons. This area was chosen because of historically high levels of barley yellow dwarf in wheat. Many species of aphids were recovered. The most common vectors of barley yellow dwarf virus were bird cherry-oat aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi; rice root aphid, Rhopalosiphum rufiabdominalis; English grain aphid, Sitobion avenae; and Tetraneura nigriabdominalis. Greenbugs, Schizaphis graminum, were also collected but are not known to vector the most prevalent strains of barley yellow dwarf in Alabama. The most common aphid species collected in the trap was Capitophorus hippophaes. Several aphid species were new state records, including Hyperomyzus carduellinus and Shivaphis celti.
Species 1: Homoptera Aphididae Rhopalosiphum padi (bird cherry-oat aphid)
Species 2: Homoptera Aphididae Rhopalosiphum rufiabdominalis (rice root aphid)
Species 3: Homoptera Aphididae Tetraneura nigriabdominalis
Keywords: suction trapping, virus vectors
The ESA 2001 Annual Meeting - 2001: An Entomological Odyssey of ESA