Abstract: Re-migration potential of the white-backed planthopper (WBPH), Sogatella furcifera (Horvath) after a long journey and feeding on different varieties of rice was tested and simulated with tethered flight on a set of computerized flight mill. The results revealed that WBPH in the rice cropping areas of the Yangtze River consisted of individuals with different flight characteristics, namely, the sedentary type (flight duration less than 3. 0 min), migratory type (flight duration more than 30 min), strong migratory type (flight duration more than 420 min) and re-migratory type (2nd tethered flight duration more than 30 min). The proportion of the re-migratory type was 5.7% among all of 558 tested WBPH and 28.6% among 112 individuals of the migratory type. The flight capacity and re-migration potential of WBPH were influenced significantly by the nutritive conditions of the rice varieties. The individuals feeding on the hopper-sensitive varieties showed higher proportion of the re-migratory type (>5%) and stronger ability of migration. When fed on a less sensitive variety and a hopper-tolerance variety before and after the first tethered test, the flyer would perform poor re-migration flight and lower proportion of the re-migratory type. But the hoppers would exhibit higher proportion of the re-migratory type and medium-grade flight duration if they fed on a tolerance variety both before and after the first tethered test. The individuals with sustained flight over 360 min during the first tethered test performed higher ability of re-migration. The copulation status only affected the 6 day-old females and 2 day-old males significantly.

Key words: Sogatella furcifera, rice variety, flight capacity, re-migration potential, tethered flight