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Research article2007Peer reviewed

Responses to olfactory and visual cues by over-wintered and summer generations of the pollen beetle, Meligethes aeneus

Jonsson M, Rosdahl K, Anderson P

Abstract

Behavioural responses to odours of oilseed rape in bud and flower stage and to green and yellow colours are studied for the two main phenological stages of pollen beetles, Meligethes aeneus, a major pest of oilseed rape, Brassica napus. Over-wintered individuals oviposit in buds of oilseed rape. Adults of the new generation (i.e. the summer generation) feed on flowers of different plant species before over wintering. In olfactometer experiments, the over-wintered beetles display a higher preference for odour of oilseed rape at the bud stage compared with the summer generation, both with and without colour stimuli. Flower odours are preferred in combination with yellow colour. Colour stimuli presented alone do not affect the behaviour. The summer generation beetles respond to both bud and flower odour. Adding colour stimuli changes the summer generations preference towards yellow and flower odour

Published in

Physiological Entomology
2007, Volume: 32, number: 2, pages: 188-193
Publisher: BLACKWELL PUBLISHING

      SLU Authors

      • UKÄ Subject classification

      Agricultural Science
      Environmental Sciences related to Agriculture and Land-use
      Horticulture

      Publication identifier

      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3032.2007.00562.x

      Permanent link to this page (URI)

      https://res.slu.se/id/publ/15908