The aphids (Homoptera : Aphididae) associated with bell peppers and surrounding vegetation in southern Illinois

Outbreaks of cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) disease, caused by an aphid-transm itted pathogen, greatly reduced yields of bell pepper in southern Illinois in the mid-1990s. To provide the basis for further studies of the roles of individual aphid species in virus transmission, we surveyed aphid flights i n and around pepper fields in 1996 and 1997 by using suction traps, interce ption nets, landing traps, sweep nets, and hand-picking. We collected 78 sp ecies of aphids, 15 of which have been reported to transmit CMV to peppers. The most abundant species taken from suction traps and interception nets i n combination were Lipaphis erysimi, Rhopalosiphum padi, Rhopalosiphum maid is, Schizaphis graminum, and Aphis craccivora. All of these species are kno wn to transmit CMV to peppers, but the phenology of R. maidis in Illinois s uggests it is not the vector that brings CMV to pepper fields to initiate d isease outbreaks. Brachycaudus helichrysi was relatively abundant in 1996 i n May and June when a CMV outbreak may have been initiated; it was absent i n 1997, and CMV infections were rare that season. Two species, Carolinaia c arolinensis and Myzus hemerocallis were recorded for the first time in Illi nois.