Aphids & Their

Relatives
O & T Guide [O-#01]

Carol A. Sutherland
Extension and State Entomologist
Cooperative Extension Service College of Agriculture and Home Economics October 2006

Aphids are familiar, soft-bodied, pear- gall aphid, which is a member of the
shaped insects with tremendous Adelgidae (pine and spruce aphid family).
reproductive potential. As sap feeders,
they can cause plants to wilt or seedlings Metamorphosis: Simple
to die; their excess fluid waste, called Mouth Parts: Piercing-sucking
honeydew, attracts a variety of hungry Pest Stages: Nymphs, adults
flies, ants, wasps, bees and even rodents.
Some species cause growth distortion or
galls on their hosts, while others are
vectors of certain plant pathogens. As a
group, they demonstrate such a variety of
host preferences and survival strategies
that no generalized account can describe
them adequately. Only a few common
species affecting ornamentals are
discussed below.

Scientifically: The insects in this fact

Wingless adult green peach aphid, Myzus
sheet are all members of the Order
persicae. Note the cornicles on the
Hemiptera, Suborder Sternorrhyncha. This
abdomen. Photo: Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado
classification may be quite different from State University, www.forestryimages.org
that found in older entomology texts, yet it
reflects recent revisions in certain insect Life Cycle: Over the course of a year,
orders and newer and accepted views on different species of aphids can have life
relationships among members of the order. cycles ranging from simple to elaborate.
The suborder name aptly describes the An example of a simple life cycle is
location of the mouthparts for aphids and described here:
their relatives---on the underside of the
head and projecting between the bases of For most species found on woody
the first pair of legs, a feature that would ornamentals, the egg is the overwintering
require high power magnification to see stage. Laid in small clutches on the bark of
clearly. All of the aphids described below their perennial host, these eggs hatch in
belong to the family Aphididae with the spring, producing female nymphs that
exception of Adelges, the Cooley spruce mature usually within a couple of weeks.
O & T Guide [O-#01] – page 2

These female adults reproduce produced by glands in their integument.

parthenogenetically, that is, without males Nymphs are various colors, depending
and mating. They also give birth to living upon species and sometimes hosts. Most
young (called vivipary), producing one to are wingless; external wing buds may be
many female offspring daily for an visible in larger, older nymphs.
average 30-day adult life span. The first
few generations usually consist of Adult: Most are wingless, looking like
wingless individuals (all female) but larger versions of nymphs; adults can
eventually, crowding occurs and winged reproduce, however. Parthenogenetic
aphids (also female) are produced. In females give live birth to at least several
many species, these winged forms migrate nymphs daily for about 30 days in some
to a different host species where species. Winged adults have two pairs of
reproduction involving parthenogenesis usually colorless wings; their hind wings
and live birth continues. As fall are slightly smaller and shorter than their
approaches, winged aphids are produced; forewings. Aphids are usually green,
these migrate back to the original yellow, black, brown, red, or pink, but
perennial host, where they produce a may be almost any color, depending upon
single generation of both male and female species and sometimes host plant. Veins
aphids. After mating, overwintering eggs on the leading edge of the forewing may
are produced and the parent aphids die. be enlarged and black. Mouthparts are
With short life cycles, all female often absent on the last fall generation of
populations and live births extend over a aphids that will mate and lay
30-day adult life time, tremendous overwintering eggs.
populations of aphids build up very
quickly on host plants. Habitat and Hosts: With over 1,000
described species in America north of
Description of Life Stages: Mexico, aphids exhibit a variety of habits,
habitats and hosts. Indeed, nearly every
Egg: Eggs are retained for internal species of ornamental grown in New
development in parthenogenetic females. Mexico nurseries, greenhouses, or
For those species overwintering on the anywhere outdoors will have at least one
bark of perennial hosts, eggs are minute, aphid or aphid relative that will use it for a
nearly spherical and usually dark gray or host. Some aphids (e.g. Russian wheat
black. Some species scatter their eggs aphid) are known from parthenogenetic
while others lay them in lines or small populations of females only; presumably,
clusters. these continue to feed over the winter in
protected areas (roots?) of their hosts.
Nymphs: Nymphs have globose to pear- Some common aphid species in
shaped bodies with 3 pairs of thoracic greenhouses can continue parthenogenetic
legs, relatively long, thread-like antennae, reproduction all year long, aided by
small, paired compound eyes and a pair of warmer temperatures, availability of well-
tubular projections (cornicles) on the rear fertilized, succulent hosts and artificial
of the abdomen. Most are slow-moving, lighting. Many other common aphid
spending most of their time feeding. Some species overwinter as eggs on the bark of
species are bare while others are covered woody perennials but spend their summers
by a fine dust or filaments of white wax on other species or herbaceous hosts.
O & T Guide [O-#01] – page 3

Some species of aphids use very few milkweed. Quite a few species of aphids
species of hosts year-round; giant willow or close relatives of aphids use very
aphids (Tuberolachnus salignus) use only different hosts for overwintering and the
willow, rose aphids (Macrosiphum rosae) summer. The curly leaf aphids
use various roses, ivy aphid (Aphis (Prociphilus spp.) on ash foliage in the
hederae) only English ivy, and conifer summer use roots of fir during the winter.
Woolly apple aphid (Eriosoma lanigerum)
causes woody galls on twigs, branches and
roots of apple, hawthorn, mountain ash
and pyracantha; it may overwinter as
nymphs or adults on the roots of plants in
the rose family or possibly as eggs on
American elm if it is present.
Melon or cotton aphid (Aphis gossypii)
and green peach aphid (Myzus persicae)
have extensive host ranges, covering
dozens of species in dozens of plant
Rose aphids, Macrosiphum rosae, on a families. These latter two are probably the
rose bud. Overwintering eggs for rose most common and persistent pests of
aphids, Macrosiphum rosae,, also on rose. plants grown in greenhouses.
Photos: Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State
University, www.forestryimages.org

Giant conifer aphids, Cinara sp.on pine

Rose aphids, Macrosiphum rosae, on a twig. Note the ants tending these aphids.
Photo: E. Bradford Walker, Vermont Department
rose bud. Overwintering eggs for rose of Forests, Parks and Recreation,
aphids, Macrosiphum rosae,, also on rose. www.forestryimages.org
Photos: Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State
University, www.forestryimages.org Among the gall-making aphids and their
relatives are: Colopha ulmicola, producing
bark aphids (Cinara spp.) are associated a cockscomb gall on elm foliage,
only with various pines, firs, spruce, etc. Pemphigus populitransversus, producing a
Other aphids have rather strange host leaf petiole gall on poplar and cottonwood
affiliations; the introduced (from Europe) and the vagabond aphid, Pemphigus
bright orange oleander aphid, Aphis nerii, vagabundus, that produces a bunchy-leaf
is a common but apparently non-damaging gall on foliage of poplar and cottonwood.
pest of oleander, but it also does well on Conifers also may be affected by these
O & T Guide [O-#01] – page 4

pests; Cooley spruce gall aphids, Adelges including buds, flowers or fruit, to
cooleyi, create galls on spruce that sunburn. Lost foliage results in loss of
resemble multi-chambered cones. photosynthetic machinery for the plant;
perennials may not be able to compensate
Damage: Aphids damage their hosts for the loss of sugars that should be stored,
directly by removing sap, sometimes especially late in the growing season.
causing hosts to wilt. Salivary enzymes
(proteins) injected into hosts during
feeding can clog the vascular systems of
some plants or injure surrounding tissue,
causing yellowing spots, distorted growth
or even necrosis (tissue death). Severely
damaged foliage may fall from the plant,
making it unsightly or unsaleable. Lost

Woolly apple aphid, Eriosoma lanigerum,

on an apple twig. Their white waxy
filaments have been partially removed to
expose the aphids. Photo: Joseph Berger, ,
www.forestryimages.org

Alternatively, plants may expend

additional energy to produce a new flush
Oleander aphid, Aphis nerii, with of foliage. Some species of aphids are well
predatory coccinellid larvae. Photo: Anne W. known vectors (carriers) of certain plant
Gideon, , www.forestryimages.org viruses. Often carried on the insect’s
mouthparts, the viruses are spread by
winged aphids landing on plants and
probing them with their feeding stylets.
Aphids consume large quantities of plant
sap, a rather dilute source of nutrients.
Thus, they excrete tremendous amounts of
liquid sugary wastes, called honeydew.
Honeydew can leave a shiny residue on
plants as well as make them sticky to the
touch. Honeydew can be an attractive food
source to a variety of insects such as ants,
bees, wasps and flies. In high humidity
Ash leaf-curl aphid, Meliarhizophagus conditions, it can also serve as a substrate
fraxinifolii, on the underside of an ash leaf. for the growth of sooty mold fungi that
Photo: Lacy L. Hyche, Auburn University,
www.forestryimages.org
blacken foliage, often causing the foliage
to fall off affected plants.
foliage may allow parts of the plant,
O & T Guide [O-#01] – page 5

IPM Notes: Aphids are hosts for a variety

of predatory insects and spiders including
minute pirate bugs, predatory stink bugs,
damsel bugs, smaller assassin bugs, big
eyed bugs, syrphid flies, many species of
lady beetles and others. They are also
targets for several genera of small parasitic
wasps in the families Aphelinidae and
Braconidae. Given enough time, these
beneficial insects often can significantly
reduce aphid populations on plants;
however, host plants may incur significant
damage in the meantime. Cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii, wingless
adults, nymphs and one winged adult.
For small numbers of plants or where Photo: Mississippi State University Archives,
Mississippi State University,
homeowners desire to use less hazardous www.forestryimages.org
means of control, strong streams of water
can be sprayed as needed on infested
plants to provide acceptable control. The
aphids are so disturbed when they are
knocked off their hosts that they are
unable to find the plants again or settle to
feed.

Insecticidal soap solutions may be used

similarly. Horticultural oils formulated for
use on green vegetation can kill aphids on
contact; dormant oils applied to leafless
trees and shrubs during the winter will
often asphyxiate overwintering eggs of Gall on the base of a cottonwood leaf
aphids as well as other pests on branches produced by a cottonwood gall aphid,
or trunks. Pemphigus populitransversus. Photo: Herbert
A. "Joe" Pase III, Texas Forest Service,
www.forestryimages.org
A variety of general use insecticides are
available to homeowners for use on
popular ornamentals. These same
materials and a few restricted use products
are available to licensed applicators. While
many of these materials are contact
insecticides, some are systemic; that is, the
active ingredient may be absorbed by the
plant and/or translocated in various plant
tissues where it can be ingested by aphids
as they feed on plant sap.
O & T Guide [O-#01] – page 6

Cooley spruce gall aphid, Adelges cooleyi,

Cooley spruce gall aphid, Adelges cooleyi, feeding externally on needles of its
damage on a spruce twig. The brown alternate host, Douglas fir. Photo: Petr
cone-like structures are the dried, mature Kapitola, Forestry and Game Management
galls produced by feeding of these aphids. Research Institute - Czechia,
Earlier in spring, these galls housed www.forestryimages.org
developing colonies of Cooley spruce gall
aphids. Photo: John A. Weidhass, Virginia
Polytechnic Institute and State University,
www.forestryimages.org

New Mexico State University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and educator. NMSU and the
U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating.

October 2006 Las Cruces, NM