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Oscillation, synchrony, and multi-factor patterns between cereal aphids and parasitoid populations in southern Brazil

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 September 2021

Eduardo Engel*
Affiliation:
Department of Entomology and Acarology, Laboratory of Ecology and Forest Entomology, University of São Paulo, ESALQ, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
Douglas Lau
Affiliation:
Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa Trigo), Passo Fundo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Wesley A. C. Godoy
Affiliation:
Department of Entomology and Acarology, Laboratory of Ecology and Forest Entomology, University of São Paulo, ESALQ, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
Mauricio P. B. Pasini
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Entomology, University of Cruz Alta-Unicruz, Cruz Alta, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
José B. Malaquias
Affiliation:
Department of Biostatistics, Institute of Biosciences – IBB, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
Carlos D. R. Santos
Affiliation:
Faculty of Agronomy, Postgraduate Program in Plant Science, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil
Juliana Pivato
Affiliation:
Faculty of Agronomy, Postgraduate Program in Plant Science, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil
Paulo R. V. da S. Pereira
Affiliation:
Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa Florestas), Colombo, Paraná, Brazil
*
Author for correspondence: Eduardo Engel, Email: agron.engel@gmail.com
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Abstract

In different parts of the world, aphid populations and their natural enemies are influenced by landscapes and climate. In the Neotropical region, few long-term studies have been conducted, maintaining a gap for comprehension of the effect of meteorological variables on aphid population patterns and their parasitoids in field conditions. This study describes the general patterns of oscillation in cereal winged aphids and their parasitoids, selecting meteorological variables and evaluating their effects on these insects. Aphids exhibit two annual peaks, one in summer–fall transition and the other in winter-spring transition. For parasitoids, the highest annual peak takes place during winter and a second peak occurs in winter–spring transition. Temperature was the principal meteorological regulator of population fluctuation in winged aphids and parasitoids during the year. The favorable temperature range is not the same for aphids and parasitoids. For aphids, temperature increase resulted in population growth, with maximum positive effect at 25°C. Temperature also positively influenced parasitoid populations, but the growth was asymptotic around 20°C. Although rainfall showed no regulatory function on aphid seasonality, it influenced the final number of insects over the year. The response of aphids and parasitoids to temperature has implications for trophic compatibility and regulation of their populations. Such functions should be taken into account in predictive models.

Information

Type
Research Paper
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press
Figure 0

Figure 1. (a) Weekly mean for the air temperatures: maximum (dark gray), mean (gray), and minimum (light gray); (b) weekly mean for mean daily insolation; (c) weekly mean for relative humidity (%) (line) and rainfall (mm) (bars). Weather station of Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil, 2011–2018.

Figure 1

Figure 2. Boxplot of the population fluctuation of winged cereal aphids (a) and their parasitoids (b) over the weeks of the year during the period from January 2011 to December 2018. Red dots indicate the mean for each week. Area inside the rectangle indicates the period with the presence of the wheat crop. Coxilha, RS, Brazil.

Figure 2

Table 1. Species, number of individuals (N) and relative abundance (A) of winged aphids and parasitoids associated with cereal crops

Figure 3

Figure 3. (a) Principal component analysis (PCA) partitioning the variance of meteorological variables: accumulated weekly rainfall (Rainfall); mean relative humidity (Rh); mean daily insolation (Insol); and air temperatures: minimum (Tmin), mean (Temperature), and maximum (Tmax). Weather station of Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil, 2011–2018. (b) Relationship between the first main component of the PCA and the mean air temperature. (c) Relationship between the second main component of the PCA and the accumulated weekly rainfall.

Figure 4

Figure 4. Smoothed splines of the linear components mean air temperature and accumulated weekly rainfall for winged cereal aphids (a and b) and their parasitoids (c and d). Shaded areas indicate the 95% confidence interval. Dashed red line indicates marginal zone between positive and negative effects of independent variables on populations.

Figure 5

Figure 5. Smoothed splines of the linear time component, expressed in weeks of the year, for winged cereal aphids (a) and their parasitoids (b). Shaded areas indicate the 95% confidence interval. Dashed line indicates marginal zones between positive and negative effects of independent variables on populations.

Figure 6

Figure 6. Principal component analysis (PCA) partitioning the variance of meteorological variables: annual rainfall accumulated (Rainfall), mean annual air temperature (Temperature), and the abundance of winged aphids (Aphid) and their parasitoids (Parasitoids) between the years of evaluation. Coxilha, RS, Brazil, 2011–2018.

Figure 7

Figure 7. (a) Smoothed splines estimated by the GAMM models indicating the population oscillation patterns of winged cereal aphids (light gray line) and their parasitoids (dark gray line) throughout the year. Rectangle indicates time zone indicated for sowing wheat in the study region according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA, 2008); (b) risk map for wheat sowing based on the proportion of winged aphids and parasitoids caught in traps. Colors indicate levels of risk, from white (highest risk) to black (lowest risk).