Effects of Temperature Fluctuations on Aphids Life Cycle: Four Case Species

Abstract

Global warming has great potential to influence all organisms including many animal species, in particular aphids. It has been shown that four aphid species, Cinara cedri, Cinara tujafilina, Metopolophium dirhodum, Pterochloroides persicae, maintained their parthenogenetic generations in Niğde and Artvin Provinces during the winter season in contrast to common life cycles related with cooler and dry conditions. It has been considered that determined aphid species should spend winter season as an overwintering egg as these species mainly show holocyclic life cycles in Niğde and Artvin. Fluctuations in winter average temperature in Niğde and Artvin during last two years enable them to produce more parthenogenetic generations as an indicator of the influences of the temperature fluctuations. These findings are in coincidence with the general approaches that increase in temperature most probably result in more generations in aphid species and in turn let these species to become a severe pest.