Attraction of the tea aphid, Toxoptera aurantii, to combinations of volatiles and colors related to tea plants

The tea aphid, Toxoptera aurantii Boyer (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is a major pest of the tea plant, Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze (Theaceae). The attraction of the aphids to different colors and volatile compounds from tea shoots was investigated. Fourteen compounds were identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry from headspace samples of intact tea shoot volatiles (ITSV). Electrophysiological and behavioral responses of winged tea aphids to ITSV as well as to the full blend of 14 synthetic compounds, to a partial mixture of green leaf volatiles (GLV) included in the 14 compounds, and to individual synthetic compounds were studied by using electroantennography (EAG) and a Y-tube olfactometer. The various tea volatiles and blends were strongly active, with ITSV being the strongest. In the greenhouse and in tea plantations, sticky boards of six different colors strongly attracted tea aphids in flight, with ‘rape-flower yellow’ and ‘Chinese olive-yellow-green’ being the most attractive. Furthermore, these two boards in combination with ITSV attracted winged tea aphidsmore strongly than their corresponding colored sticky boards alone. In the greenhouse, plastic models of tea seedlings baited with (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol or the GLV mixture significantly attracted winged tea aphids in flight. This study demonstrates that green leaf volatiles from tea shoots are attractive to the tea aphid. The combination of these volatiles with the color light yellow or green, and the shape of tender tea shoots result in orientation flight and landing of winged tea aphids on host tea shoots.