Aphis gossypii Glover, 1877 and Aphis spiraecola Patch, 1914 (Hemiptera: Aphididae) associated with Eucalyptus spp.

Abstract

The process of producing eucalyptus seedlings hosts a complex of arthropods, which can highlight sucking insects, such as aphids. The aim was to study aphids on seedlings and mini-stumps in a clonal mini-garden of eucalyptus in Brazil, through their identification, studies of population growth and host preference of these insects in different species of eucalyptus. In this study, it is registered, for the first time in Eucalyptus spp. in Brazil, the species Aphis gossypii Glover 1887 and Aphis spiraecola Patch 1914 (Hemiptera: Aphididae). Aphid colonies were observed in April and March 2018 infesting Eucalyptus pellita and Eucalyptus brassiana seedlings in the greenhouse of the Federal University of Piauí (UFPI), in Teresina, Piauí; and in a clonal mini-garden of Eucalyptus spp. from the PlantBem seedling production nursery in Monsenhor Gil, Piauí. The population growth of Aphis spiraecola was evaluated using the instantaneous growth rate (r_i) in six species of eucalyptus (Eucalyptus pellita, Eucalyptus grandis, Eucalyptus brassiana, Eucalyptus urophylla, Eucalyptus tereticornis e Corymbia citriodora), as well as the aphid host preference for these species was tested through a choice test. Only in Corymbia citriodora there was no population growth of Aphis spiraecola. Aphis spiraecola showed less host preference for Corymbia citriodora, while Eucalyptus pellita and Eucalyptus urophylla were the preferred species. This is the first record of Aphis gossypii in a clonal mini-garden of eucalyptus and of Aphis spiraecola in seedlings of Eucalyptus spp. in Brazil.

Keywords:
Aphid; Eucalyptus; Vegetation house; Clonal minigarden