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Gall Midges (Dipt., Cecidomyidae) as Enemies of Aphids

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

H. F. Barnes
H. F. Barnes
Affiliation:
Entomological Department, Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden, England.
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Extract

The larvae of certain gall midges have been known for a long time to prey on Aphids ; in fact Rondani in 1847 described a midge, now known as Phaenobremia aphidimyza, Rond., whose larvae fed on Aphids on fruit trees. Since this first record, there have been many notes of Aphids being attacked by Cecidomyid larvae, and in some cases the adult midge has been reared and described. Most of the literature consists of mere records of larvae feeding on Aphids or else descriptions of the midges ; in a few cases biological notes are added. So far as the writer knows there are only two papers that are devoted to a study of midges as a potential natural control of Aphids. Further work is badly needed to find out whether midge larvae can, or do, act as control agents. There have been vague statements that Aphids in certain outbreaks have been controlled by the midge larvae, but so far there have been no exact proofs based on counts of numbers of Aphids killed, fecundity of midge compared with Aphid, the appetite of the midge larvae, etc.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Bulletin of Entomological Research , Volume 20 , Issue 4 , December 1929 , pp. 433 - 442
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1929

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References

* Davis, , Jl. Agric. Res., vi, pp. 883–887, 1916.Google Scholar

Voukassovitch, C.R.Soc. Biol., xcii, pp. 357–359, 1925.Google Scholar

† In this connection DrThompson, W. R. has recently (Bull. Ent. Res., xix, 1929, pp. 343–350) suggested that the value of predators in biological control has been underestimated, and that they are worthy of more careful attention in the field.Google Scholar

* Since going to press, a Phaenobremia sp. has been reared from larvae feeding on this Aphid at Harpenden, England, during July and August, 1929.

* The writer believes that physiological differences may be of the same value in separating species as morphological differences. He hopes to find out whether the progeny of one Phaenobremia female will (a) feed on different species of Aphids in starvation tests, (b) will show a host preference to different Aphid species, (c) will feed on the same Aphid species on any of the latter's host-plants, e.g., on Phorodon humuli living on hop and damson, and also whether isolation of any kind tends to prevent individuals feeding on different species of Aphids from inter-breeding.

* Presumably all Del Guercio's species were found in Italy although this is not actually stated in his works.

Phaenobremia aphidimyza (Rond.) reported from Aphids on Persica, Cerasus, Sonchus, Rosa, Peach, Plum and Sow-thistle, is not included in the list as the species is so doubtful.

* Presumably all Del Guercio's species were found in Italy although this is not actually stated in his works.