Assessing the host plants of the invasive apricot aphid, Myzus mumecola (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

The invasive apricot aphid, Myzus mumecola (Hemiptera: Aphididae) is native to Eastern Asia and was first detected in Europe in 2016. Within a decade, it has spread from Italy to several other European countries. Despite the potential threat to apricot cultivation, little is known about the biology of M. mumecola . It is known to shift from apricot trees to one or more alternative hosts. However, information on its feeding pattern and particularly on the summer hosts in the invaded region is limited. To investigate plants visited for probing during migration, we performed a molecular gut content analysis and a bioassay on the biological performance of the aphid on different plant species. Plant DNA from several genera such as Robinia , Prunus , Carpinus , Malus , Salix and Fraxinus was detected from autumnal morphs that migrate to apricot, indicating that M. mumecola acquired plant sap from these species during its migration. From the tested Prunus spp., only apricot resulted as a suitable host, confirming the host specificity of M. mumecola , whereas hop was identified as a suitable summer host for this pest. This study provides new insights into the feeding and reproductive host plants of M. mumecola in Europe and highlights the importance of combining molecular and ecological approaches to investigate the feeding behaviour of emerging pests.