MODIFICATION OF FEEDING-BEHAVIOR OF MYZUS-PERSICAE (HOMOPTERA, APHIDIDAE) BY SELECTED COMPOUNDS

An electronic feeding monitor was used to examine the feeding behavior of the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer), on lettuce, Lactuc a sativa L. 'Empire' sprayed with a number of behavior-modifying compo unds. The number of probing events recorded per hour was significantly higher on plants treated with an insecticidal soap (M-Pede), azadirac htin (Margosan-O), and an acrylic copolymer (Forevergreen) than on con trols. Ingestion events occurred significantly less often on plants tr eated with nicotine sulfate (Black Leaf 40), the acrylic copolymer, an d the insecticidal soap than on control plants. Aphids spent significa ntly more time iii preprobing activities on plants treated with the ac rylic copolymer compared with the untreated control. Aphid feeding beh avior on plants treated with sabadilla was not significantly different from that on plants treated with distilled water. The use of these re sults in an IPM context is discussed.