ABSTRACT
The peach-potato aphid Myzus persicae is one of the most destructive and widespread sucking pests, feeding on a wide range of crops which belong to more than 40 plant families. It causes direct damage to the crops on which it feeds. M. persicae pierces the plant’s foliage, sucking the sap out of the plant, and thereby reducing the plant’s quality and yield. In addition, M. persicae is capable of transmitting more than 100 plant viruses to crops, thereby causing enormous economic losses. Furthermore, the use of pesticides to combat M. persicae has significant economic consequences for farmers. Therefore, the economic impact of this aphid species is widely documented and its impact is dire for individual farmers as well as the wider agricultural sector. The current chapter is designed to highlight the economic loss caused by the M. persicae. This chapter also presents some critical ecological traits that impact its control strategies. Overall, the understanding of these ecological traits is crucial for the development of effective and sustainable control techniques against M. persicae and minimising the negative impacts on the environment and other non-target organisms.
