Probing behaviors of Sitobion avenae (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on enhanced UV-B irradiated plants

UV-B induced changes in plants can influence sap-feeding insects through mechanisms that have not been studied. Herein the grain aphid, Sitobion avenae (Fabricius) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), was monitored on barley plants under the treatments of control [0 kJ/ (m2.d)], ambient UV-B [60 kJ/ (m2.d)], and enhanced UV-B [120 kJ/ (m2.d)] irradiation. Electrical penetration graph (EPG) techniques were used to record aphid probing behaviors. Enhanced UV-B irradiated plants negatively affected probing behaviors of S. avenae compared with control plants. In particular, phloem factors that could diminish sieve element acceptance appeared to be involved, as reflected by smaller number of phloem phase, shorter phloem ingestion, and fewer aphids reaching the sustained phloem ingestion phase (E2>10min). On the other hand, factors from leaf surface, epidermis, and mesophyll cannot be excluded, as reflected by higher number of non-probing, longer non-probing and pathway phase, and later the time to first probe.