Observations on the autumn migration of Nilaparvata lugens (Homoptera: Delphacidae) and other pests in east central China

Abstract

Radar, aerial netting and ground sampling were used to study the autumn migration of Nilaparvata lugens (Stal) in Jiangsu Province in east central China. Emigration of macropterous adults increased from late August until late September as the main rice crop matured and was harvested. In early and mid September, the resulting windborne migrations carried the planthoppers mainly towards the west, although the migration directions ranged (within the western sector) from south to north. By late September, however, displacements were predominantly to the south-west on the then prevailing north-east monsoon winds: migration was particularly rapid when the north-easterlies were reinforced by typhoons. Although in late September such movements to more southerly latitudes are essential for the survival of the planthoppers' progeny, we found no definite evidence for preferential emigration on winds blowing towards the south. There were, however, indications that when winds towards the north occurred, the duration of migratory flight was curtailed. Irrespective of any possible preference for migration on northerlies, a large proportion of the N. lugens population would normally be carried in an adaptive southwards direction, because the advent of the north-east monsoon occurs at a time when the number of flight-ready planthoppers approaches its peak.

Wind‐assisted migration potential of the island sugarcane planthopperEumetopina flavipes(Hemiptera: Delphacidae): implications for managing incursions across an Australian quarantine frontline

“…2008). However, planthoppers are known to migrate at altitudes where the wind speed exceeds their flight speed, so their flight displacement is primarily a function of wind direction and speed (Kisimoto & Rosenberg 1994; Riley et al. 1994).…”

The Influence of Typhoon Khanun on the Return Migration of Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) in Eastern China

“…Likely sources and landing area of migrating N. lugens were estimated by constructing backward/forward trajectories, based on the following assumptions: (i) the planthoppers are displaced downwind [20]–[23], [40], [45]; (ii) take-off takes place mostly at dusk and partly at dawn [20]–[23], [40], [45] ; (iii) the migrants are likely to land at any time; and (iv) the planthoppers cannot fly in an atmosphere of below 16.5°C [28], [40], [46]. The backward trajectories from light trap locations were calculated hourly during 0700 h to 0600 h, with initial 7 heights of 500, 750, 1000, 1250, 1500, 1750, and 2000 m above mean sea level.…”

“…‘Hopperburn’, which is browning of the leaves or withering of the whole plant, occurred widely in mid-September in the Yangtze River Delta (including Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces and Shanghai municipality) [18], [37]–[39]. Based on previous researches, N. lugens in this region would undertake return migration in this time of year, and the local population would decrease and the usual destination would be Hunan, Jiangxi and southern Anhui provinces [13], [16], [23], [40]. Six typhoons made landfall between Mid July and Mid October 2005 in eastern China.…”

Proportional transfer of chemical elements from rice plants to rice brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens[Stål], Hemiptera: Delphacidae) and its honeydew

“…N. lugens is a long-distance migratory insect pest (Cheng et al 1979). It has a short life-cycle, and northward and north-eastward migration from the south has eventually led to N. lugens occurring as far as northern China, Korea and Japan (Cheng et al 1979;Kisimoto 1987;Watanabe et al 1991;Riley et al 1994). In China, the insect migrates from the south to the rice-producing regions in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in the summer, where it has three to four generations per year (Cheng et al 1979).…”

“…In China, the insect migrates from the south to the rice-producing regions in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in the summer, where it has three to four generations per year (Cheng et al 1979). In the autumn, the N. lugens population migrates southward to the overwintering area, where it feeds on the available rice plants (Cheng et al 1979;Kisimoto 1987;Rosenberg and Magor 1987;Pender 1994;Riley et al 1994). When the density of N. lugens is high, feeding leads to hopperburn (blocking of phloem sieve tubes), which is reflected by the drying of rice leaves and the wilting of the tillers (Bae and Pathak 1970).…”