Greenbug, Schizaphis graminum (Rondani), and bird-cherry oat aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi (L.) are two of the most common aphid pests of wheat in the Texas Panhandle. Convergent lady beetle, Hippodamia convergens (Guerin-Meneville), is the primary predator of aphids and can reduce greenbug abundance by more than 60%. Resistant wheat has been bred to combat these aphid pests. However, resistant wheat is not immune to damage by aphids. With the impending loss of traditional chemical controls for aphids in wheat, data are needed that examine the consequences of aphid-resistant wheat on predators. The objective of this study was to assess whether aphid-resistant wheat being developed for release in Texas affects the ability of convergent lady beetle larvae to manage greenbug biotypes C, E, and I and bird-cherry oat aphid. Preliminary data indicate that biotype C greenbugs reproduce faster on susceptible wheat than lady beetle larvae can reduce the aphid infestation. Bird-cherry oat aphids reproduce much slower than the any of the three greenbug biotypes used and were readily consumed by lady beetle larvae.
Species 1: Coleoptera Coccinellidae Hippodamia convergens (convergent lady beetle)
Species 2: Homoptera Aphididae Schizaphis graminum (greenbug)
Species 3: Homoptera Aphididae Rhopalosiphum padi (bird-cherry oat aphid)
Keywords: biological control
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