New records and some notes : on the broad bean root aphids and their natural

Abstract EN

in May 20tht 1985 two species of aphids were found on the roots of Vida faba L.

in Hammam Al-Alii region 30 Kilomot.r south of Mosul.

Samples of these aphids were sent to the Commonwealth Institute of Entomology, London (Ko.

17002/9804 Asia) and identified as being Smynthurodes betas wi'stwood; ajid Dysaphis cratacgi (KaltenbachJ (Aphididae : Homoptera).

The first species was dominant.

The latter specie* was also noticed on the roots of the common bishop’s weed (Ammi majus L.) and on the wide carrot (Dauctts carrota L.) of the family Umbelliferae (Bodenheimer & Swirski, 1557).

Surveys for three successive years revealed that the infestation by the root aphids was common in most fields growing broad bean plants in II am mam Al-Alii region.

The aphids cluster on tfte main root of the plant mostly near its basal parts, but later in season they attack new developing shoots at their basal paris near the soil causing inury by removing the plant sap, stunting of growth, and reduce the yield.

The affected plants became pale green, wilt, and often death occur.

Three pathogenic fungi were found, in our preliminary work, to associate with the root aphids infestation of these plants.

These fungi were identified in our laboratory as being Fttsarium sctani (Mart.) Sace.; Rhisoctonia solani Kuhn.,' and Macrophomina pkaseotina (Tassi.) Gold.

The wingless aphids appear on the roots during March-April each year and tended by velvety tree ants (identified by the author as being Liomctofum spp.).

The adult female of Smynthurodes bctae is white creamy in color with lark legs and cauda, covered with waxy powder, fringed with pale yellow hairs, comities absent, and body size 1,5—4 mm that gives birth occasionally to few winged individuals at the end of the spring -season, (May) which fly to unknown areas.

The body and legs of winged inividuals are yellowish- black in color with yellow abdomen.

While the adult female of Dysaphis trataegi is yellow, aomicles absent, and body size 1-1.5 mm.

Tese aphids were found to be preyed upon mostly by the larvae of syrphid fly (Syrphus sp.) in nature as tentatively identified according to the available keys (Colyer & Hammond, 1968).

and to less extent by the larvae of the lacewing in the root region.

Other arthropods found in the root region of the iniected broad bean plants were the velvety tree ants, silver fish, wire worms, different species of Diptera, sowbugs, predatory mites, and small spiders.

However, Encyrited wasp, a gregarious parasite (syrphophagus nigrocyaneus as identified by Mahmoud, 1979) was isolated from a puparium of the Syrphus sp.

Several trials were made for rearing the broad bean root aphids (in planted pots) and to propagate their main predator (Syrphus sp.) in rearing cages (40x/40x60 cm) under laboratory conditions in which .lposition sites and different sources of food for the syrphid flies nourish¬ment were provided for a period over 20— days, but these efforts were unsuccessful.

This is believed to be the first record of the broad bean root aphid and their natural enemies in Iraq ; and may also on the roots of Vicia faba plants in the world.

Therefore more work is needed to investigate this problem.