Anholocyclic overwintering of Myzus persicae : Host plant selection as a driver for aphid performance and survival

Abstract Virus yellows (VY) is a major disease affecting sugar beet production, transmitted by several aphid species, with the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer) being the most efficient. Control of this vector has become challenging due to increasing insecticide resistance and restrictive insecticide approvals in Europe. Anholocyclic overwintering of aphids, especially in temperate regions with mild winters, increases the risk of early infestation of crops with VY in spring. Therefore, understanding the winter ecology of M. persicae is crucial to determine which host plants are selected for successful overwintering by anholocyclic forms prior to spring migration to sugar beet crops. We investigated the host selection of anholocyclic M. persicae on various potential winter hosts and evaluated the performance and survival of anholocyclic M. persicae on different plants under semi‐field and laboratory conditions. Our results showed that M. persicae was able to overwinter on all host plants tested. However, mustard and sugar beet were initially more attractive to anholocyclic forms within the first week after release in semi‐field conditions. Mustard was most frequently selected and showed the highest aphid proliferation, whereas sugar beet was least selected before frost events. The study highlights the importance of incorporating winter host habitats into forecasting models for VY risk management. Understanding the winter ecology and host selection of M. persicae can improve integrated pest management (IPM) strategies and potentially reduce reliance on insecticides for controlling aphid vectors and managing VY in sugar beet production.