Morphological variation in spring migrants ofMyzus persicae(Sulz.) (Hemiptera, Aphididae): comparison of alatae from peach and mangold

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Abstract
Spring migrants of Myzus persicae (Sulz.) may be produced either by parthenogenetic aphids derived from fertilised eggs laid on the primary host, or by parthenogenetic aphids overwintering on secondary hosts. Five variates, based1 on eight morphological characters of alate M. persicae, are examined to investigate how to distinguish between alatae derived from populations that have overwintered by these two means. No single variate is adequate to identify correctly all specimens, although two of them, number of abdominal tubercles, and shape of the fenestra in the central abdominal patch, may each correctly assign as many as 90%.