Book Description

Aphids (Hemiptera: Aphidoidea) are one of the most important and destructive agriculture pests causing serious economic losses by both nutrient robbing and transmitting plant viruses. 100 species of Aphididae have exploited the agricultural environment successfully to the extent that they are of significant economic importance, among them 15 aphid species of most agricultural importance. Aphids are piecing-sucking insect pests with the mouthparts (stylets) to penetrate plant cells to feed phloem sap from sieve elements. The feeding process of aphids is similar to pathogen infestation, and plenty of evidence demonstrate that the interplay between aphid and host plants follows the pathogen-plant Zigzag model. During the process of probing and feeding, aphids, like plant pathogens, secreted some salivary proteins as effectors (or elicitors) into their host plants cell intercellularly and intracellularly to mediate aphid-plant interactions, such as eliciting or suppressing plant defense responses. Aphids also vector plant viruses, and the relationship between each organismal pair affects the overall outcome of this biological interaction. Aphids contained endosymbionts, and the symbionts influence interaction between the aphids and their host plants and between aphids and their natural enemies, further impacting this network of biological interactions. Advances in understanding aphids biology, and these interactions at the physiological, molecular, and ecological levels will provide fundamental knowledge, and develop novel green control strategies for insect pests as well as vector pathogens.