Conservation agriculture provides valuable ecosystem services but can exacerbate slug pressure, particularly in temperate agroecosystems. This study investigated the impact of contrasting soil management and cover crop strategies on the invasive slug Deroceras invadens and predatory ground beetles in conservation agriculture. A two-year field trial in northern Italy compared conventional ploughing against no-till systems with different cover crops, i.e., rye, vetch, and a multi-species mixture. We assessed species activity-density using pitfall traps and evaluated slug-induced damage on soybean across phenological stages. Deroceras invadens was the dominant pest, while Poecilus cupreus and Pterostichus melas were the most abundant potential predators. Treatment-specific negative associations between ground beetle and slug activity-densities were observed. The two ground beetle species exhibited complementary temporal roles: P. cupreus was present throughout the sampling period, whereas P. melas showed stronger negative associations with slugs during the late sampling period. Soybean damage was positively correlated with slug density and significantly influenced by cover crop type, reaching its highest levels in rye plots and lowest in vetch plots. Notably, crop susceptibility peaked at the seed and unifoliolate stages, decreasing significantly by the trifoliolate stages. These findings indicate that cover crop identity and soil management drive slug damage risks, potentially exacerbated by early sowing if vulnerable crop stages align with peak pest activity. Therefore, in conservation agriculture, aligning biological control dynamics with crop phenology under different cover crop systems is crucial to maximize predation, mitigate slug pressure, reduce dependence on pesticides, and promote long-term sustainability.

The management of agro-food waste (AFW) is a pressing environmental, social, and economic issue. Owing to the large and heterogeneous production in Italy, which is one of the EU's leading agricultural producers and food processors, it is crucial to effectively manage the AFW in terms of reduced emissions, costs, and lower resource consumption. The management of these wastes could be carried out by considering them as a resource for high-value compounds and (bio)energy. This review offers an overview of AFW management processes according to circular economy principles, by exploring available technologies at different Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs), focusing on the Italian context. The review provides descriptions of industrial-scale and pilot-scale plants, as well as emerging biological approaches for converting AFW into high-added valuable compounds and energy. This approach promotes the inclusion of AFW within a circular economy framework, increasing the sustainability of waste management by considering them as valuable resources.

Aphids are phytophagous insects that damage a wide range of plant species and may act as vectors of several pathogens, including Cucumber Mosaic Virus (CMV). CMV seriously affects tomato crops but, although earlier studies have described CMV in northern Italy, little is known about the aphid species in the area that could be involved in its transmission in tomato fields. This three-year survey (2021–2023) focused on monitoring aphid populations in open field tomato crops in the northern Italian provinces of Piacenza, Cremona and Mantua. Sampling included both tomato plants and nearby weeds like Solanum nigrum , Convolvulus arvensis , Abutilon theophrasti or crop like Medicago sativa , which may serve as CMV reservoirs. DNA barcoding of the COI gene, along with morphological analysis where necessary, was used to identify the aphids. A total of 28 aphid taxa were identified from the collected samples, and 89.8% of all identified samples were known CMV vectors. Aphis fabae and Macrosiphum euphorbiae were the most frequently identified species. The greatest number of aphid specimens and species diversity were recorded during the first sampling of each year, whereas the highest sampling diversity was recorded in Piacenza. The current study provides a comprehensive qualitative assessment of the diverse aphid species associated with open field tomato crops in one of the most important districts for their cultivation in Italy.

The peanut supply chain is characterised by a high production of by-products, mainly shells and small pods, often discarded by processing companies. However, the richness of nutritive substances makes these products valuable as feed substrates for Hermetia illucens larvae rearing. Therefore, the aims of this work were to (1) evaluate the performance of H. illucens larvae reared on peanut by-products and (2) study the effect of various levels of fungal contamination in by-products on H. illucens larvae performance, focusing on growth and mortality. Two agro-industrial peanut by-products (rich by-product, R; poor by-product, P) were ground and mixed in different percentages (0-100%, step 10%) to obtain 11 different feeding substrates, then rehydrated to 70% moisture. Three different trials were conducted using these substrates, with three-day-old H. illucens larvae reared for 10 days. Whereas, the effect of fungal contamination was investigated by inoculating chicken feed (standard, S) and substrate P5R5 (50% P and 50% R) with two spore suspensions ( Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium graminearum , 10 5 spore/mL), at three different inoculation times (5, 3 and 0 days before the addition of larvae). The substrate composition considerably impacted larval growth, with the highest larval weight increase obtained when R reached 50% in the substrate. Fungal contamination in by-products significantly reduced larvae performance, with a stronger negative effect from A. flavus . These findings suggest the potential for enhancing peanut by-products as a rearing substrate for H. illucens larvae, although the composition and the possible fungal contamination may reduce the effectiveness of the process.

Soils are a key reservoir of global biodiversity, and their fundamental role is to support soil functions and ecosystem services. Biodiversity is part of the complexity and is linked to other parameters that characterise soils, and changes in soil health status influence the provision of goods and services to its beneficiaries. Knowing the biodiversity of a soil in vineyard systems and trying to relate it to other soil characteristics helps to improve soil health, apply the more suitable NBS to reduce land degradation, to improve the ecosystem services provided by the soil and to make viticulture more sustainable.Six vineyards were selected in Oltrepò Pavese, one of the most important high-quality wines areas in Northern Italy, in different geological contexts soils with different inter-row management techniques: permanent grass cover, tillage and alternate tillage. Soil samples were collected in each vineyard, where a 1.0 m × 2.0 m trench was dug, in order to determine the geological, chemical, agronomic and physical properties. With a multidisciplinary approach, these properties were compared with the fungal, bacterial and arthropod communities.Environmental DNA (eDNA) was extracted, and bacterial and fungal communities were detected by NGS analysis of 16S and ITS1 DNA barcodes, respectively. Arthropod communities were described by soil biological quality (QBS-ar) and biodiversity indices, after morphological identification of the different biological forms detected.Inter-row management techniques and geological characteristics affect bacterial, fungal and arthropod communities’ composition. Soil managed with permanent grass cover are in general richer of fungal and bacterial biodiversity. Arthropods seem to be more influenced by soil texture and consequently by the chemical and physical characteristics of the soil than by tillage or grassing in the dry season. A positive correlation was found between Fungi and Bacteria orders, a negative correlation between Arthropods and Fungi orders and a weak and not significant correlation between Arthropods and Bacteria orders. The composition of the bacterial community was radically different in soil under repeated tillage and mineral fertilisation where Bacteroidia, Bacilli, Clostridia and Fusobacteria prevailing, in permanent grass cover soils the classes Alphaproteobacteria, above all, Acidobacteria-6 and Actinobacteria prevailed. Repeated tillage results in a different composition of the prevalent fungal Classes, with a predominance of Malasseziomycetes, which are not present in permanent grass cover soils. Fungi showed a positive correlation with water content, nitrogen and organic matter, while bacteria have a positive correlation with plastic limit and pH.The results of the study can be used to helps farmers in the selection of the best inter-row management techniques in vineyards in order to reduce the effects of climate change and mitigate the effects of erosion.

Agriculture in the hilly and mountainous areas of the Oltrepò Pavese (province of Pavia) and the Colli Piacentini (province of Piacenza) is the main source of income for the local population. Unfortunately, in these “internal areas”, the worrying decline in the population in recent decades and its steady ageing have also had an impact on production, with the result that the agricultural area under cultivation has been halved. In addition, the numerous phenomena of hydrogeological instability due to superficial landslides and erosion of sloping surfaces drastically increase problems of these areas. The low profitability of the agriculture in these areas, combined with the weakness of the necessary infrastructural network, is one of the most likely causes. Increasing the profitability of local agriculture, while respecting the environment, is therefore probably one of the most important tools for mitigating the social degradation of these areas. The introduction of new, economically sustainable crops can only be proposed after a careful analysis of the crops to be proposed and a reasonable period of field trials on local farms. The necessary rigor of the experimental protocols, the processing of the data and, above all, the costs involved cannot be delegated to agricultural companies, but necessarily require the intervention of a research institute and public financial support. Quinoa was the crop of choice. The trial, which directly involved local farmers, identified the main problems with the crop and proposed solutions to address them.

BACKGROUND Aphis gossypii is a worldwide agricultural pest that causes high levels of economic losses by feeding and transmitting virus diseases. It is usually controlled by chemical insecticides, but this could lead to the selection of resistant populations. Several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been identified associated with insecticide resistance. Monitoring activities to detect the presence of such mutations in field populations can have an important role in insect pest management but, currently, no information on Italian strains is available. RESULTS The presence of target site mutations conferring resistance to different insecticides was analysed in Italian field collected populations of A. gossypii with an allele specific approach (QSGG, Qualitative Sybr-Green Genotyping). Primers were designed to detect mutations in genes coding acetylcholinesterase (S431F), nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (R81T) and voltage-gated sodium channel (M918L and L1014F). S431F was widespread but with high variability across populations. R81T was detected for the first time in Italy but only in two populations. The L1014F mutation (kdr) was not found, while in the samples showing the M918L two different nucleotidic substitutions were detected. Mutant allele frequencies were, respectively, 0.70 (S431), 0.31 (M918) and 0.02 (R81). Further analysis on the voltage-gated sodium channel gene showed the presence of eight haplotypes and one non-synonymous mutation in the gene coding region. CONCLUSION Multiple target-site mutations were detected within Italian populations. The combinations of genotypes observed in certain locations could affect negatively the control of this pest. Preliminary insights on the genetic structure in the Italian populations of A. gossypii were acquired. (c) 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

The use of insects as a protein source in feed production can significantly improve the sustainability of livestock production. Despite several environmental and animal welfare benefits, the economic sustainability of such approach depends on the level of consumer acceptance and willingness to pay for insect-fed poultry diets. Using the results of an online survey of more than 850 Italian consumers, we first examine the main differences between two groups of consumers: those who are willing to buy insect-fed poultry meat and eggs and those who not. The t-test is used to search for statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of their stated preferences for key food attributes that influence purchase decisions, as well as their view on food safety, quality and environmental issues. We then use ordered logit regression to estimate the determinants of consumers' willingness to pay a price premium for insect-fed poultry compared to conventional poultry products. Particular attention is paid to the possible role of trust in the ability of the food system to provide safe food in influencing consumers' preferences. The results show that consumers who are willing to buy insect-fed meat and eggs are more environmentally aware, have a stronger belief in the crucial role that changes in current food consumption patterns can play for the environment and social well-being, and have a higher level of trust in the system that guarantees food safety. The willingness to pay a price premium for insect-fed poultry food is mainly influenced by respondents' beliefs about insect-fed poultry food, especially in terms of its expected quality characteristics and animal welfare. Findings from this analysis could provide insights into investments to ensure the economic sustainability of a more circular chain.

Acyrthosiphon pisum Harris (Hemiptera: Aphididae) is a globally distributed and economically important aphid pest of leguminous crops including peas, broad beans, and alfalfa. Infestations weaken plants directly by feeding, and indirectly, by the transmission of yield-affecting plant viruses. Although pea aphid control strategies largely rely on the application of insecticides, cases of insecticide resistance under applied conditions have not yet been described. Here we investigated the molecular basis of high levels of pyrethroid resistance (up to >180-fold) in two strains of A. pisum, PYR-R1 and VR, collected in the field in France and Italy, respectively. Foliar bioassays revealed significant synergistic effects between deltamethrin and piperonyl butoxide (a cytochrome P450 (P450) inhibitor), and, to a lesser extent, S,S,S-tributyl phosphorotrithioate (an esterase inhibitor). P450 and esterase activities in both resistant strains were significantly higher compared to an insecticide susceptible reference strain SUS-1. Target-site resistance mutations in the voltage-gated sodium channel known to confer pyrethroid resistance in other aphid pest species were not detected in either resistant strain. However, transcriptome profiling identified the P450 gene CYP6CY12 as highly over-expressed in the resistant PYR-R1 strain compared to the SUS-1 strain, and real-time quantitative PCR showed that this gene is also significantly overexpressed (>30-fold) in the VR strain. Functional expression of recombinant CYP6CY12 revealed its catalytic capacity to hydroxylate deltamethrin, thus confirming its causal role in pyrethroid resistance. Our study uncovered a P450-mediated mechanism of pyrethroid resistance in A. pisum for the first time and will inform future resistance management tactics to control this pest.

BACKGROUND The massive use of synthetic insecticides strongly affects the level of insecticide resistance in populations of Myzus persicae worldwide. The selection of target site insensitivity-mutations is particularly worrying in areas where agro-industrial crops are vulnerable to the attacks of aphids that vector viruses, as in the case of Tunisia. Knowledge of the resistance mechanisms evolved locally in this aphid pest is a prerequisite to improving and retaining the sustainability of integrated pest management strategies. RESULTS Target site mutations were surveyed in several populations of M. persicae collected from peach and potato crops between 2011 and 2017 in three Tunisian regions using real-time allele-specific PCR. The L1014F mutation (kdr locus) was found at a moderate frequency mostly in the heterozygous state and the homozygous resistant genotype was very uncommon. The M918T mutation (super-kdr locus) was present in a few heterozygous individuals, whereas the M918L mutation was detected for the first time in Tunisia and extreme North Africa. This latter mutation was shown to be widespread and well-established in Tunisia mainly as homozygous individuals, and was more abundant on peach than on potato crops. The S431F mutation (MACE) was found in a few heterozygous individuals. No individuals carrying the R81T mutation linked to neonicotinoid resistance were detected. CONCLUSION This study points out a critical situation for the efficacy of pyrethroid insecticides to control M. persicae populations in Tunisia. It also confirms the rapid spread of the M918L mutation which has been detected in many different areas of the Mediterranean basin.

The neotropical insect Hermetia illucens has become a cosmopolite species, and it is considered a highly promising insect in circular and sustainable economic processes. Being able to feed on a wide variety of organic substrates, it represents a source of lipids and proteins for many uses and produces recyclable waste. We investigated the characteristics and differences in the poorly-known locomotory behaviour of larvae of different instars, paying particular attention to the unique characteristics of the prepupal stage, key to farming and industrial processes. Moreover, we attempted to develop a "self-harvesting" system relying on the behavioural traits of prepupae to obtain their separation from younger larvae under rearing condition with minimum effort. Prepupae differ from younger larvae in their response to physical disturbance in the form of tonic immobility and significantly differ in their locomotory movements. Both prepupae and younger larvae reacted similarly to heat or light-induced stress, but low light and high moisture induced only prepupae to migrate away, which resulted in the development of a highly efficient separation methodology. The new data on the behaviour of H. illucens not only shed new light on some unexplored aspects of its biology, but also led to develop an inexpensive self-harvesting system that can be implemented in small-scale and industrial farming.

The aphid Myzus persicae is a destructive agricultural pest that displays an exceptional ability to develop resistance to both natural and synthetic insecticides. To investigate the evolution of resistance in this species we generated a chromosome-scale genome assembly and living panel of >110 fully sequenced globally sampled clonal lines. Our analyses reveal a remarkable diversity of resistance mutations segregating in global populations of M. persicae . We show that the emergence and spread of these mechanisms is influenced by host–plant associations, uncovering the widespread co‐option of a host-plant adaptation that also offers resistance against synthetic insecticides. We identify both the repeated evolution of independent resistance mutations at the same locus, and multiple instances of the evolution of novel resistance mechanisms against key insecticides. Our findings provide fundamental insights into the genomic responses of global insect populations to strong selective forces, and hold practical relevance for the control of pests and parasites.

Even though the problem of resource depletion of our planet is getting increasingly worse, most of the input of agro-food industry is discarded, causing expensive management and disposal issues. According to the Circular Economy principles, these problems can be faced by giving more value to wastage, turning it into inputs to innovative supply chains: the biorefineries. The BIOWAFER project addresses those issues investigating how agri-food by-products consistently produced in Emilia-Romagna Region (Italy) can be assigned to consecutive biorefinery processes integrated in order to obtain high-added value molecules for cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Among all food chains considered, tomato, wine and cheese industries were chosen for waste valorisation. In order to overcome the seasonal waste production, a detailed analysis of storage and stabilization of the by-products was performed. Streptococcus zooepidemicus was chosen to obtain hyaluronic acid through waste fermentation process. The biorefinery was integrated with waste bioconversion by Hermetia illucens larvae followed by sustainable chemical extraction processes of potential antioxidants, lipids and peptides. Finally, the residues of all the above-mentioned phases will be used for pyro-gasification, to obtain biochar and syngas for agronomic and energy purposes respectively, allowing the closure of the supply chains in a circular way. Many other circular approaches are presented in literature, but, in our knowledge, no one use fermentation coupled with larvae rearing for waste reduction and conversion. Despite some challenges in scaling-up the proposed biorefinery, the project aims to overcome a linear production system by making the supply chains increasingly circular.

The evolution of resistance to insecticides threatens the sustainable control of many of the world's most damaging insect crop pests and disease vectors. To effectively combat resistance, it is important to understand its underlying genetic architecture, including the type and number of genetic variants affecting resistance and their interactions with each other and the environment. While significant progress has been made in characterizing the individual genes or mutations leading to resistance, our understanding of how genetic variants interact to influence its phenotypic expression remains poor. Here, we uncover a mechanism of insecticide resistance resulting from transposon-mediated insertional mutagenesis of a genetically dominant but insecticide-susceptible allele that enables the adaptive potential of a previously unavailable recessive resistance allele to be unlocked. Specifically, we identify clones of the aphid pest Myzus persicae that carry a resistant allele of the essential voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) gene with the recessive M918T and L1014F resistance mutations, in combination with an allele lacking these mutations but carrying a Mutator-like element transposon insertion that disrupts the coding sequence of the VGSC. This results in the down-regulation of the dominant susceptible allele and monoallelic expression of the recessive resistant allele, rendering the clones resistant to the insecticide bifenthrin. These findings are a powerful example of how transposable elements can provide a source of evolutionary potential that can be revealed by environmental and genetic perturbation, with applied implications for the control of highly damaging insect pests.

Livestock farms represent a source of attraction for other species, which find food resources on the animals themselves, in the food supplied to them, in their manure, etc. Insect farms too can suffer infestation by different organisms living on substrates or behaving as parasites and/or predators. Breeding of the black soldier fly (BSF),Hermetia illucens (L.) requires organic materials which are attractive for other arthropods (commensals, mycetophages, scavengers, etc.). During recent years, the breeding system adopted at the Di.Pro.Ve.S. of the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza (Italy), has suffered the presence of the following ‘pests’:Megaselia scalaris (Loew) (Diptera Phoridae),Muscina stabulans (Fallén) (Diptera Muscidae),Monomorium pharaonis (L.) (Hymenoptera Formicidae) andCaloglyphus berlesei (Michael) (Astigmata Acaridae). The use of fermented fruit, vegetables or of an artificial diet to induce egg laying proved to be attractive for small flies such asM. scalaris. This species also takes advantage of the aqueous sugar solution used to feed BSF adults. Infestations byM. scalaris are worrying because its larvae can compete efficiently with those of the BSF in substrate colonisation. Likewise,M. stabulans can be attracted by the substrates, even though this species has not shown the same levels of high competitiveness as the previously mentioned species.M. pharaonis was observed to prey on eggs and newborn BSF larvae. Lastly, infestations by the miteC. berlesei were detected when conditions for the larval development of the BSF were not optimal. This species could also be harmful for the workers involved in the breeding. The establishment of insect and mite populations inside BSF rearing boxes suggests that a careful analysis should be made based on the location of the breeding facility and a series of measures should of course be adopted when this kind of structure and activities are designed and realised.

Host shifts can lead to ecological speciation and the emergence of new pests and pathogens. However, the mutational events that facilitate the exploitation of novel hosts are poorly understood. Here, we characterize an adaptive walk underpinning the host shift of the aphid Myzus persicae to tobacco, including evolution of mechanisms that overcame tobacco chemical defenses. A series of mutational events added as many as 1.5 million nucleotides to the genome of the tobacco-adapted subspecies, M. p. nicotianae, and yielded profound increases in expression of an enzyme that efficiently detoxifies nicotine, both in aphid gut tissue and in the bacteriocytes housing the obligate aphid symbiont Buchnera aphidicola. This dual evolutionary solution overcame the challenge of preserving fitness of a mutualistic symbiosis during adaptation to a toxic novel host. Our results reveal the intricate processes by which genetic novelty can arise and drive the evolution of key innovations required for ecological adaptation.

The soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae) is a serious pest of the soybean plant, Glycine max, a major world-wide agricultural crop. We assembled a de novo genome sequence of Ap. glycines Biotype 1, from a culture established shortly after this species invaded North America. 20.4% of the Ap. glycines proteome is duplicated. These in-paralogs are enriched with Gene Ontology (GO) categories mostly related to apoptosis, a possible adaptation to plant chemistry and other environmental stressors. Approximately one-third of these genes show parallel duplication in other aphids. But Ap. gossypii, its closest related species, has the lowest number of these duplicated genes. An Illumina GoldenGate assay of 2380 SNPs was used to determine the world-wide population structure of Ap. Glycines. China and South Korean aphids are the closest to those in North America. China is the likely origin of other Asian aphid populations. The most distantly related aphids to those in North America are from Australia. The diversity of Ap. glycines in North America has decreased over time since its arrival. The genetic diversity of Ap. glycines North American population sampled shortly after its first detection in 2001 up to 2012 does not appear to correlate with geography. However, aphids collected on soybean Rag experimental varieties in Minnesota (MN), Iowa (IA), and Wisconsin (WI), closer to high density Rhamnus cathartica stands, appear to have higher capacity to colonize resistant soybean plants than aphids sampled in Ohio (OH), North Dakota (ND), and South Dakota (SD). Samples from the former states have SNP alleles with high FST values and frequencies, that overlap with genes involved in iron metabolism, a crucial metabolic pathway that may be affected by the Rag-associated soybean plant response. The Ap. glycines Biotype 1 genome will provide needed information for future analyses of mechanisms of aphid virulence and pesticide resistance as well as facilitate comparative analyses between aphids with differing natural history and host plant range.

In conservation agriculture, slugs are considered significant pests and their monitoring is a key option in the integrated pest management framework. Together with molluscicide applications, predators such as ground beetles can offer a tool for slug control in the field. Through the evaluation of slug and ground beetle monitoring strategies, this work compared their presence in conventional and conservation agricultural plots. The invasive Deroceras invadens was the dominant slug species to occur in all sampling periods. Among Carabidae, Poecilus cupreus and Pterostichus melas were the most abundant species, and Bembidion spp., Brachinus spp., and Harpalus spp. were also common. Beer-baited pitfall traps, whatever their alcoholic content, caught more slugs and ground beetles than wooden boards used as shelters. Slugs were more abundant in conventional plots than in conservation plots, possibly due to the lower presence of natural enemies such as ground beetles. Despite possible impacts on Carabidae, beer-baited pitfall traps should be considered a useful tool for slug monitoring and for the planning of molluscicide applications. Soil management such as minimum- or no-tillage and the presence of cover crops are important elements influencing both slug and ground beetle presence, possibly playing a key role in the maintenance of natural enemy populations.

To assess the susceptibility of pseudocereals (amaranth and quinoa), minor cereals (teff and millet), and oilseeds (chia and hemp), now commercially available on the European market, to attacks by polypha-gous and cosmopolitan insect pests, laboratory tests were set up. Tests involving controlled infestation of seeds, using laboratory-bred insects (Tenebrio molitor, Tribolium confusum, Oryzaephilus surinamensis, Cryptolestes pusillus and Plodia interpunctella), were carried out in a climatic chamber at 23 +/- 2 degrees C and 65 +/- 5% R.H.. Development time, the number of adults and the weight of these adults were evaluated. The results show that each considered foodstuff has a different susceptibility to infestation and differences both in the number of adults emerged and in their weight compared to control. Millet was the only product that allowed larval development up to the adult stage for all the species examined. No species developed on amaranth. T. confusum and O. surinamensis reached the adult stage on the greatest number of products, 5 and 4 respectively; C. pusillus and T. molitor completed their life cycles on only two commodities: millet and teff, while P. interpunctella only on millet and hemp seeds. Considering the impact of the different pests on the studied grains, T. confusum was the only species able to develop on all the grains, but the number of emerged adults was lower than on the standard diet. These results show that, even if these commodities are new in the European market, they are susceptible to the infestation of common stored product pests that could led to a removal from the market of a contaminated stock, so a continuous monitoring is needed. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Aphid flight activities were monitored in 2015 in two areas of seed potato production in Tunisia. Yellow water traps were used to investigate the diversity of aphidofauna and the incidence of aphids involved in potato virus transmission. A total of 9966 specimens belonged to 73 taxa were captured. The cumulative abundance recorded in Douala (first site) was much higher than in El Ogla (second site) (8768 vs 1189 specimens). The most preponderant species in Douala were Aphis spiraecola Patch (66.1%) and Aphis spp. group (13.5%). In El Ogla Rhopalosiphum padi (L.) comprised 58.9% of total catches, followed by Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris) (12%) and Aploneura lentisci (Passerini) (10.4%). The highest values of diversity indices were recorded on April 23 th [Shannon-Wiener index (H’)=2.58; Simpson index (1-D)=0.88] in Douala and on May 12th (H’=1.70; 1-D=0.75) in El Ogla. The detection of viral infections by DAS-ELISA determined the predominance of Potato virus Y amongst five main potato viruses tested. Overall Chi-square analysis determined significant differences crossing all areas of seed and ware potatoes and season crops. The highest incidence of viruses was recorded in Douala (18.5%) while El Ogla was under the threshold value (4%). This might be attributed to the occurrence of aphids in early season known previously to be efficient vectors of PVY and to the characteristics of area including climatic conditions, altitude and landscape structure. These results provide new evidence for El Ogla as ideal site to produce healthy tubers while conversely Douala is favourable for the propagation of vectors and viruses.