Fifty varieties of taro, Colocasia esculenta (L.)Schott, collected from islands in Micronesia and Polynesia and eight varieties from the University of Hawaii's taro germplasm collection, were screened for antibiosis and nonpreference to Aphis gossypii Glover. Life history data for A. gossypii was collected by assessing survivorship and fecundity of caged aphids on taro leaves in the field. Significant differences in reproductive rate and longevity were observed between the taro varieties, and varieties were ranked from most resistant to most susceptible. Nonpreference was additionally assayed in the laboratory using choice tests where A. gossypii were offered four taro leaf disks from different varieties at a time. Resistant varieties identified in this study may form the basis of breeding programs seeking to combine aphid resistance with other desirable agronomic traits.
Species 1: Homoptera Aphididae Aphis gossypii (melon aphid, cotton aphid)
Keywords: Guam Micronesia clip cages
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