Pandora neoaphidis transmission and aphid foraging behaviour

Pandora neoaphidis is an aphid-specific entomopathogen that produces infective conidia. As aphid movement increases, so does the likelihood of contact with conidia. Volatile distress signals released in response to aphid infestation as an indirect defence against herbivory may affect aphid foraging and, therefore, the fungus-aphid interaction. In this study, two different methods were used to investigate the effect of plant volatiles and P. neoaphidis-sporulating cadavers on (1) the colonisation of Vicia faba plants by Acyrthosiphon pisum and (2) P. neoaphidis transmission. This study indicates that A. pisum does not avoid bean plants containing P. neoaphidis and that transmission of conidia occurs during plant colonisation and, to a lesser extent, during in situ feeding. Although significantly more aphids were recovered from damaged plants compared to undamaged plants, the likelihood of infection was not affected by previous infestation by aphids.