The role of aphids in wood formation. II. The effect of the lime aphid, Eucallipterus tiliae L. (Aphididae), on the growth of lime, Tilia X vulgaris Hayne.
Abstract
The following is virtually the author's summary of this second part of a series [cf. RAE A 59 2659]. Experiments on saplings of lime (Tilia) under controlled conditions in Scotland established that the roots of those infested by Eucallipterus tiliae (L.), an aphid that feeds on the leaves, do not grow. However, the growth above ground in girth, height increment, leaf number and leaf size was normal. Infested saplings shed their leaves earlier than uninfested ones, the leaves were heavier per unit area, and they contained more nitrogen. Aphid infestation in one year resulted in smaller leaves in the following year, and these leaves were darker green in colour and had a net production (per unit area of leaf) 1.6 times as great as the leaves of previously uninfested saplings. Lime-tree growth and the way the aphid affects it are discussed.