Effect of intra and interspecific pre-inhabitation on habitat preference and offspring of two aphid species

We combined field and laboratory experiments to examine how plant microsites alter fitness by measuring the fecundity of Rhopalosiphum paid and R. maidis. Next, we tested whether intra- and interspecific pre-inhabitation modify habitat selection in both aphid species by counting the number of aphid on areas of an artificial experimental arena where aphids freely moved between pre-inhabited and non-inhabited areas. Then we extracted footprints or compounds that triggered the aphid spatial preference and then tested their bioactivity. Next, through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis we identified and quantified (ng) the compounds and tested the effect of R. maidis density as well as the equivalent amount of the major compound using a synthetic form.