Biology of the Foxglove Aphid in the Northeastern United States

Abstract

elltolllolouista, ElltomoLouy llc.~ea'/'()hDi'Vi .~iun.,luriellUl/rat J~('.~('archSC'l"viec.Hnd GEDDES 'V.SU(l'S()N, prO/C8sor of (~/ttolitOLOUY.JIaille Agriculturat E.cr;crimrmt Statioll"The l'ommon \lume for the, foxglove.uphid (Llcyl'llwsiphon 8ol(t1~i (Kn.ltenbtteh wm; suggested by Patch (4J),3 who found foxglove ( fJigitali.'{PIli'puN'a, L.) to bn It primary host of this insect.Since this plnnt wn;~ not eonUllOll in potato-growing distrids of ~laine, it seemecl likt>ly that other prilll,l.ryhoStB existed in view of the.lnrge llumbers of foxgl(n'e ,tphids that initially infested potatoes each yen,r.Study of the biology of this aphid was intensified after the.discovery by ",,'rave et td.(7d) of thl' ('OIllIllOll perennial IllL\I'kweed (Iliel'acimn.spp.) as :t nt'\\" prilllary host of til(' aphid.Pre\-iously the only intensive bio logit study of this ilU;ed was that of Patch ('4-.3), who described its densol1al hi~tol"j' on foxglove alld listed numerous secondary hosts.Thl' Pllrpose, of this publication is to r(wic.w the litemtnre on the biology 01' tilt' foxglo\'( l~phid and to pL'eSCt'lt the results of research ('onducted on this subjeet in llortheasteL'll ~[ttine fL'Otn 105:2 to 1061 and in Xew .Jt'L'Sey from U)5D to IUG1.Laeking inforlllation on the reiation.. 'lhip of the foxglove aphid to till' Ill',wly di:-;<'ovt'l'l'd prilllary host ha,\\'kweed, one oGjective of the study in ~Jail)(> was to des('Libe, the aphid's seasonal history on this plant.Additional objectives were to determine the population ely namies of the aphid 011 hawkweed and on potatoes, the.production of :tlatae. in caged colonies on the primary host, the duration and mnbrni tl1d(~ of the spring migrant movement, and natural control agencies.Principal objectives of the study in New .Jersey were to ascertain the host plants of the aphid, ib; geogrrLphical distribution, and its mode of overwinteting. DISTRIBUTIONThe distribution of the foxglove aphid is almost worldwide.An cxctl1ent world distribution map of this ltphid has been published t Rl'signl;'d Septl'lllhel' 1002; now with the l'niv('rsity of ~Hlssnchusetts.This bulletin includes the results of n tlH,'His submitted by the senior author to the Faculty of thl;' Gnulunt(' Hchool of Rutgers Fniversity, the State University of :-few .Ter&'y, in June l!)G1 in partial fulfillmcnt of the requirements for the de/,'Tee of doctor of philosophy."rhe nuthors grntefuJly aeknowledgl' thl' assistanee of I.. ~r.Russell, Ento mology HI;'Sl!nreil Division.in identifying specimens of til(' foxglove aphill; C.I!'.W. Mueseile(: