Aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) of different plant communities in an urban environment

Abstract

A study was carried out in different type of habitats in an urban ecosystem of Bydgoszcz. The aim of the study was to determine aphid species spectrum and to compare dominance and species richness of the two aphid communities connected with the two different plant community structures in an urban ecosystem. There were two types of habitats: so-called southern slope, it was a part of the city on the hill, and so-called downtown -middle-northern part of the city. The differences were evaluated taking into consideration plant community structures. Observations of the occurrence of aphids were conducted every seven-ten days by monitoring of aphid host plants from the beginning of the appearance of aphids, that is from the end of April to the beginning of August, when aphids disappear. Aphids were counted in three replications: on the same host plant species, each time on different plant individuals bearing aphids in a given habitat. Based on the collected material, 32 aphid species were found on 31 plant species on southern slope areas, and 24 species of aphids on 23 plant species in downtown environments. In both years of the study of aphid species feeding on plants, Aphis fabae Scopoli, 1763, Aphis sambuci L., 1758, Brachycaudus prunicola (Kaltenbach, 1843) and Hyalopterus pruni (Geoffroy, 1762) were most numerous. The city on the hill was characterized by a larger number of aphids colonizing host plants and a higher species diversity in the communities than in the downtown.

Aphid Assemblages Associated with Urban Park Plant Communities

“…Aphids, visible on leaves, and giving off honeydew, stain plant leaves and reduce the aesthetic values of urban greenery [ 19 ]. Sucking insects are especially abundant on trees growing along the streets, even hundreds of times higher compared to trees in parks or in suburban areas [ 20 , 21 , 22 ]. The most important factors responsible for changes in the phenology of aphids include temperature, shortage of water and quality of food—the host plant species [ 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 ].…”

“…Most of the work on aphids in urbanised environments in Poland concerns listing the species inhabiting particular host plants [ 28 ], including those in city green areas [ 5 , 20 , 29 , 30 ]. In contrast, the associations between aphids and plant communities are analysed less often [ 21 ].…”