Authors
- Habibollah Nourbakhsh
- Ebrahim Soulimannejadian
- Mohammad Saeid Mosaddegh
- Ali Rezvani
- Parviz Shisehbor
Abstract
The prevalent aphid pests of almond are Brachycaudus amygdalinus Schout.(Hom.: Aphididae) and B. helichrysi Kalt. In Chahar-Mahal va Bakhtiari province. Seasonal variability of B. amygdalinus and B. helichrysi was studied in Shahre-Kord during 2003 and 2004. Aphid stages were counted in 100 sample unites, (twigs with 5 centimeter lengths), in 10 trees. The results showed that gynoparous of the two species were observed on almond trees in mid October in Shahr-e kord. Overwintering eggs were produced by viviparous females and laid on twigs near the developmental and flowering buds. The eggs of these two species were in diapause stage in winter. The fundatrices, which were produced from overwintered eggs, were apeterous with robust appearance. Many numbers of fertilized overwintered eggs died during winter so that 4.1% and 0.4% of two species remained to establish colonies on almond trees in 2003 and 2004, respectively. The viviparous forms produced from fundatrices and developed rapidly in April and May and reached to a high density of 116 B. helichrysi on5 centimeter twigs. B. helichrysi developed at lower temperature and produced higher population density in Shahr-e kord. B. amygdalinus migrated to Polygonum persicaria L., p < /em>. aviculare L., p < /em>. patulum M. B. and p < /em>. aridum but B. helichrysi had many foliage hosts in summer
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