Tolerance of an aphid species towards dietary sucrose‐to‐amino acid ratios and recovery from suboptimal nutrition

Aphids feed on the phloem sap of their host plants. The chemical composition this differs between plant species and is modulated by environmental factors. To understand why Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) able to infest various taxa, we investigated how aphids respond sucrose-to-amino acid ratios diet. Moreover, studied whether they are recover from periods with suboptimal nutrition. Preference performance bioassays were performed using artificial diets 2.4:1 (optimal ‘control’ diet), 4.8:1 (‘high sucrose’), 1.2:1 amino acids’), or 1:0 (‘no acids’). Also, capacity diet (i.e., ‘no acids’ diet) was assessed. In four-choice assays, both nymphs adults M. rarely found similarly distributed other diets. As long as acids available, ratio had only minor effects aphid development reproduction. On diet, survived, but almost no weight gain over time. After transfer gained reproduced low fitness deficits compared kept for whole survive under nutrition it dependent length period ability cope different dietary withstand several days may contribute broad spectrum explain a serious pest in agricultural systems.