Dispersion patterns and sampling plans for the pea aphid,Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris), on grass pea,Lathyrus sativus L.

From 2009/2010 to 2010/2011, flight patterns and spatial distribution of pea aphids were studied in northwestern Ethiopia. Yellow traps were used and legume fields sampled. Trap catches varied between years (lower in 2009/2010 than in 2010/2011), locations and months in the growing season. At Woreta, peaks were observed in January (20–70 per trap) and at Wondata in October and November (60–80 per trap). Also, pea aphid numbers were more on fallow land than on other land-use systems (a maximum of 41,000 in December 2010/2011 and 25,000 in January 2009/2010 per 100 plants). Taylor's power law coefficients, i.e., b values, were significantly greater than 1 on grass peas planted after fallow; the corresponding r² values ranged between 0.87 and 0.94. Coefficients were inconsistent on grass peas planted after teff and undersown in maize. The optimum sample size n (number of yellow traps) required in relation to the mean densities of the pea aphid was more or less the same for the three levels of accuracy (D = 0.2, 0.3 and 0.5). At D = 0.5, numerical sample size curves showed 10 traps as mean number of aphids per trap approached 4 or 5, which is practical and affordable. Some additional work at more locations may be required to validate these sampling plans before wider use.