How General are Aphid Responses to Elevated Atmospheric Co2

We studied the impact of elevated CO2 on 2 aphid pest species, Myzus persicae and Brevicoryne brassicae (Homoptera: Aphididae), on a series of host plants in 3 independent studies each differing in experimental complexity. Measurements on individual aphids showed that host plant and aphid species significantly influenced the response to elevated CO2. These differences occurred not only in the level of responsiveness but also directionally. B. brassicae reared on Brassica oleracea produced significantly less offspring at elevated CO2, whereas the opposite was found for M. persicae on the same host. No response was found for M. persicae on Senecio vulgaris. When populations of B. brassicae and M. persicae were followed for a longer period, no differences were observed in population sizes. Comparisons between different experimental systems show that long-term population responses to elevated CO2 can not be reliably predicted from detailed measurements on individual aphids. The consequences of these findings for climate change research are discussed.