Winged morph of the high arctic aphid Acyrthosiphon svalbardicum (Hemiptera: Aphididae): abundance, reproductive status, and ecological significance

Abstract The aphid Acyrthosiphon svalbardicum Heikinheimo, which is endemic to Svalbard and feeds exclusively on eightpetal mountain-avens, Dryas octopetala L. (Rosaceae), has developed a series of adaptive traits to cope with the harsh conditions of the High Arctic. Prior to this study, only a sing...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Canadian Entomologist
Main Authors: Simon, J.-C., Bonhomme, J., Blackman, R.L., Hullé, M.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 2008
Subjects:
Insect Science
Molecular Biology
Physiology
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Structural Biology
Arctic
Svalbard
Dryas octopetala
Kongsfjord*
Kongsfjorden
Mountain avens
Spitsbergen
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.4039/n08-002
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0008347X00002273
Description
Summary:Abstract The aphid Acyrthosiphon svalbardicum Heikinheimo, which is endemic to Svalbard and feeds exclusively on eightpetal mountain-avens, Dryas octopetala L. (Rosaceae), has developed a series of adaptive traits to cope with the harsh conditions of the High Arctic. Prior to this study, only a single specimen of the winged morph of A. svalbardicum had been found, suggesting extremely low dispersal potential. In 2006 we collected many winged females in several places at Kongsfjorden, Spitsbergen. Although winged individuals were generally found in high-density populations, no significant relationship existed between aphid abundance and wing development. We discuss whether this sudden increase in winged-morph production by A. svalbardicum is related to a warmer than usual summer in Svalbard.

Similar Items