Apricot aphid, Myzus mumecola (Matsumura), a new and important pest of apricot in Hungary

Abstract

Apricot aphid, Myzus mumecola (Matsumura) (Homoptera: Aphididae), was recorded as a new pest of apricot in Hungary in the spring of 2020. Identification was based on morphological and genetical (mitochondrial COI region) characteristics. M. mumecola most likely arrived in Hungary in the last 2–3 years and has quickly become a widespread pest causing significant damage to young apricot trees. Colony development, damage and differences in susceptibility between cultivars are described. The presence of Plum pox virus in M. mumecola samples was detected, and all isolates belonged to the PPV-D subgroup. Illustrations of the most important diagnostic characters of M. mumecola are provided.

Efficacy of Insecticides against the Invasive Apricot Aphid, Myzus mumecola

“…Sampled M. mumecola aphids were identified based on their morphological characteristics. Other aphid species found on apricot trees differ significantly from M. mumecola in terms of size and color [ 2 , 3 , 7 , 14 ]. Later, the accurate identification was confirmed through the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) barcode sequence analysis.…”

“…Originally from Asian countries such as Japan, China, Taiwan, East Siberia, North-West Himalaya, and India [3][4][5], M. mumecola is currently spreading in Europe. This invasive aphid species was first discovered in Italy in 2016 [2,6], followed by Hungary in 2020 [7], Serbia in 2021 [3], and Germany in 2022 [8]. In South Tyrol, Italy, where this study was conducted, M. mumecola was identified for the first time in spring 2020.…”

“…In the absence of ants, the secretion of honeydew led to the development of sooty mold on young fruits and leaves. In Hungary, the confirmation of Plum pox virus (PPV) detected in M. mumecola samples designated it as a significant vector of PPV due to its substantial prevalence across numerous surveyed apricot orchards [ 7 ]. Moreover, laboratory bioassays have demonstrated M. mumecola to possess a potential for PPV transmission, with a rate of 12% (compared to a M. persicae transmission rate of 24.4%) [ 5 ].…”

Further spread of the invasive apricot aphid Myzus mumecola (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in Central Europe and first insights into its phylogeny

“…Sampled aphids were identified based on their morphological characteristics using stereo-and light microscopy. Other aphid species found in the past on apricot trees in Europe differ significantly in terms of size and colour (Blackman & Eastop, 1994;Borbély et al, 2021;Panini et al, 2017;Petrović-Obradović, 2021;Tabet et al, 2023).…”

“…In 2016, an invasive apricot aphid, was first identified in Europe, in Emilia-Romagna region of Italy precisely (Panini et al, 2017). Subsequent occurrences were reported from Hungary in 2020 (Borbély et al, 2021), Serbia in 2021 (Petrović-Obradović, 2021) and Germany in 2022 (EPPO, 2022). Panini et al (2017) identified this species as Myzus mumecola (Matsumura, 1917) (Hemiptera: Aphididae).…”