Host specialization plays a central role in physiological diversification of aphids and plant-insect co-evolution. Different morphs of the bird cherry-oat aphid (Rhopalosiphum padi L.) are specialized and locally adapted to both primary and secondary hosts. The abundance of bird cherry-oat aphid population was estimated using the technique of direct counting of aphid individuals infesting 50 randomly selected, fully expanded 1-year side shoots of bird cherry (approx. 40 cm long) grown in the Municipal Park „Aleksanria” in Siedlce (central-eastern Poland). Entomological observations were conducted during three consecutive vegetation seasons: 2001–2003. The impact of R. padi feeding on composition of free amino acids within leaves of its primary host (the bird cherry, Prunus padus L.), infested and uninfested by aphids were studied. Eight essential amino acids (Val, Thr, Phe, Ileu, Leu, Met, His and Lys) and seven non-essential amino acids (Asp, Glu, Pro, Ser, Ala, Gly and Tyr) were identified in the bird cherry-oat leaves with the use of highperformance liquid chromatography (HPLC) separation. There were quantitative differences in free amino acids content between the tested bird cherry-oat leaves (infested and uninfested by aphids). Levels of the free amino acids were decreased in leaves attacked by R. padi, and detailed analyses revealed about 20% decline in the content of studied components during maximal aphid abundance in comparison with non-infested leaves. Additionally, the feeding behavior of the bird cherry-oat aphid seasonal morphs (fundatrix, fundatrigeniae, alatae) on the primary host was investigated. Using the electrical penetration graph (EPG) we showed differences in feeding behavior of bird cherry-oat aphid morphs on primary host. The total probing time was greatest for fundatrigeniae among all studied morphs. These individuals spent more time during phloem sap ingestion then others. Adults of alatae were not active in the phloem sap ingestion on the bird cherry. Among the tested morphs xylem sap ingestion activity was greatest for alatae. It is hypothesized that rejection of primary host and subsequent the bird cherry-oat aphid migration onto secondary hosts may be stimulated by the decline in levels of free amino acids within primary host leaves caused by long-term R. padi feeding. Comparative analyses of the aphid probing behavior additionally proved that P. padus leaves possessed high nutritive value of food for non-winged morphs (early stages of aphid infestation), while not sufficient for winged alatae (terminal phase of infestation).
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