Bird cherry-oat aphid (Rhopalosiphum padi) is an aphid in the superfamily Aphidoidea in the order Hemiptera. It is a true bug and sucks sap from plants.[1] It is considered a major pest in cereal crops, especially in temperate regions, as well as other hosts in parts of Northern Europe.[2][3] It is the principal vector of many viruses in economically important field crops.[2]

Bird cherry-oat aphid
Bird cherry-oat aphid on corn husk.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Suborder: Sternorrhyncha
Family: Aphididae
Genus: Rhopalosiphum
Species:
R. padi
Binomial name
Rhopalosiphum padi
Synonyms

Host plants and distribution

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R. padi has a worldwide distribution and according to research, they can colonize a number of dicotyledon host plants, although their preference is within monocotyledon plant groups much like the closely related R. maidis and R. rufiabdominale.[citation needed] The main plant hosts are categorized and listed below but as the name suggests, the primary host is Prunus padus, where it overwinters as eggs.[4] In Northern America, it is found to overwinter on Prunus virginiana (common choke-cherry).[2] In spring, it attacks all major cereals and pasture grasses; particularly barley, oats, wheat and other Gramineae plant species. It is also commonly found in maize growing regions.

Virus vector

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Bird cherry-oat aphid can vector a number of serious diseases including the barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV), the cereal yellow dwarf virus–RPV, filaree red leaf virus, maize leaf fleck virus, and rice giallume virus. It is also known to cause oat yellow leaf disease and the onion yellow dwarf virus.[2]

Natural enemies

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A number of aphidophagous arthropods feed on R. padi and can reduce their population density. Because of R. padi's distribution at the base of cereal stems, generalist predators such as carabids and spiders can reduce their population density.[5] In addition, more specialist predators include adults and larvae of Coccinellids, hoverfly larvae and lacewing larvae, as well as adult parasitoid wasps in the subfamily Aphidiinae.

References

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  1. ^ "Rhopalosiphum padi (L.)". www7.inra.fr.
  2. ^ a b c d Emden, H. F. van; Harrington, R, eds. (2007). Aphids as crop pests. doi:10.1079/9780851998190.0000. ISBN 978-0-85199-819-0.[page needed]
  3. ^ Leather, S. R; Walters, K. F. A; Dixon, A. F. G (September 1989). "Factors determining the pest status of the bird cherry-oat aphid, Rhopalo-siphum padi (L.) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), in Europe: a study and review". Bulletin of Entomological Research. 79 (3): 345–360. doi:10.1017/S0007485300018344.
  4. ^ "Rice root aphid". CABI. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  5. ^ Chiverton, Philip A. (October 1987). "Predation of Rhopalosiphum padi (Homoptera: Aphididae) by polyphagous predatory arthropods during the aphids' pre-peak period in spring barley". Annals of Applied Biology. 111 (2): 257–269. doi:10.1111/j.1744-7348.1987.tb01452.x.

Further reading

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