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Aphids
- Latin Name: Rhopalosiphum fitchii
- Latin Family Name: Aphididae
- Common Name: Apple Grain Aphid
- Other Names: N/A
Origin:
Believed to have originated in Europe, brought to North America with nursery stock of apple trees with the earliest settlers, and it now can be found throughout the world.
Biology:
Primary hosts are apple, pear, and plum trees, hawthorn, and a variety of grasses and grain crops during the summer. Over-wintering eggs on the trees hatch to dark green nymphs as the new buds on the trees are developing, and new aphids tend to cluster on these buds. These mature to wingless stem mothers after about 2 weeks, and they begin producing living nymphs in the next 24 hours, exuding around 75 nymphs over a 30 day period. Most of this second generation will develop wings and fly to new host plants. Subsequent generations commonly
- Latin Name: Cinara tujafilina
- Latin Family Name: Aphididae
- Common Name: Arborvitae Aphid
- Other Names: N/A
Origin:
Possibly native to North America.
Biology:
Common on arborvitae in many states, and also infests other conifers such as cedar, juniper, and cypress. Feeding on the stems and twigs can lead to dieback and discoloration of branches and foliage on infested plants, along with large amounts of honeydew on surfaces below. These are primarily cold weather aphids that may first appear on plants in late fall, become abundant in very early spring, and usually disappear from foliage when warm weather hits. It is possible that they may continue feeding on the roots of the plants.
Identification:
A relatively large aphid, brownish gray in color, and up to 1/8 inch long in adults. Immature stages are very
- Latin Name: Adelges piceae
- Latin Family Name: Adelgidae
- Common Name: Balsam woolly aphid
- Other Names: Balsam woolly adelgid
Origin:
This species is native to Europe, but was first detected in North America around 1900. It now is found throughout eastern Canada and northeastern U.S., as well as along the Pacific coast in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia.
Biology:
This adelgid feeds on fir trees in the genus Abies, and severe infestations on the stems will cause the needles to change color to rust red and the tree may then die. Periodically extensive die-off of forest trees will occur. The saliva of the insect contains a chemical that causes swelling and twisting of the plant stems, a condition called “gout disease”, resulting in reduced flow of nutrients in the cambium layer. Only females exist in the populations
- Latin Name: Calaphis betulaecolens
- Latin Family Name: Aphididae
- Common Name: Birch Aphid
- Other Names: N/A
Origin:
Possibly a native of North America, and found widely across the United States wherever birch trees grow. It primarily uses birch as its host plant.
Biology:
A pest of birch trees, where large populations can cause leaf dieback and copious production of honeydew, which coats surfaces below with a sticky layer. Females deposit eggs in the crevices of the bark on host trees in the fall, with new nymphs emerging in the spring to coincide with bud break on the trees. The first few generations may be wingless, parthenogenic females, and winged forms are produced in late spring to migrate to other trees.
Identification:
A large green to grayish species with very short cornicles. Wingless nymphs
- Latin Name: Aphis fabae
- Latin Family Name: Aphididae
- Common Name: Black Bean Aphid
- Other Names: Bean aphid
Origin:
Possibly a native of North America.
Biology:
A serious pest of many agricultural crops, including beans, corn, and sugar beets, as well as a pest on numerous ornamental plants and shrubs. Populations can explode on a plant, resulting in leaf distortion, heavy production of honeydew, and potentially transmission of an injurious plant virus. Over-wintering usually occurs on ornamental shrubs such as Euonymus, with eggs hatching to a wingless generation in the spring. Females reproduce asexually for several generations, and in early summer winged forms are produced which migrate to other plants and to crops. In the fall winged males and females are produced, mating occurs, and eggs are again deposited onto plants for
- Latin Name: Toxoptera auranti
- Latin Family Name: Aphididae
- Common Name: Black Citrus Aphid
- Other Names: N/A
Origin:
A very important agricultural pest, with over 120 known host plants, including citrus, coffee, mango, camellia, orchids, and others. It is found throughout the world where coffee is grown, and is present in the southern U.S. and Hawaii.
Biology:
Considered only a minor pest on coffee, where it feeds primarily on new growth. In nurseries this may be more of an economic problem if the aphid feeding causes leaf distortion and unmarketable products. It is, however, a known vector of several virus diseases to coffee and citrus. It is primarily a warm climate species which does not produce eggs, but reproduces only by asexual parthenogenesis, with females producing living nymphs at a rate of 6 per day, a total of 50 young
- Latin Name: Brevicoryne brassicae
- Latin Family Name: Aphididae
- Common Name: Cabbage Aphid
- Other Names: N/A
Origin:
Native to Europe, but now found throughout the world, including throughout the U.S. and on every island of Hawaii.
Biology:
A serious pest of agricultural crops, causing leaf distortion, stunting of young plants, and unmarketable produce. They form dense colonies, and are major pests of Kohl crops such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, or brussels sprouts, where they may feed deep within the folds of the leaves, making control difficult. They are known vectors of many viruses of plants. The life cycle is typical of aphids, with eggs over-wintering in cool climates, nymphs emerging in the spring to wingless females which produce living offspring asexually, winged forms developing in the early summer to migrate to new
- Latin Name: Cinara spp.
- Latin Family Name: Aphididae
- Common Name: Conifer Aphid
- Other Names: N/A
Origin:
Possibly native to North America.
Biology:
Aphids in this genus are the most common aphid pests of conifers, including spruce, pine, and fir. There are around 175 different species in the genus Cinara, and they are specific to conifers and do not attack other kinds of trees. They feed primarily on soft twigs and branches, but may be found on the trunk of the tree or even the roots. Conifer aphids produce large quantities of honeydew, which in turn attracts ants, yellow jackets, or other sugar-feeding insects to the infested tree. The honeydew may also encourage the growth of sooty mold, which covers needles with a dark, powdery layer. There can be several generations each year, with large populations existing by the end of the
- Latin Name: Adelges cooleyi
- Latin Family Name: Adelgidae
- Common Name: Cooley Spruce Gall Aphid
- Other Names: Gall adelgid
Origin:
Cooley spruce gall aphid is native to North America and it attacks various species of spruce trees as well as Douglas Fir.
Biology:
The feeding of these adelgids on the tender stems of spruce and fir causes deformed sections, similar in appearance to cones or pineapples, which distort the stems and stunt the growth, usually girdling the stem at that point. A continuing infestation on a tree will seriously disfigure it, weaken it, and make it more susceptible to attack by other insect pests. Immature aphids overwinter in crevices in the bark of the tree, and in early spring mature to adults with wings. These now lay eggs on the new twigs, and these new nymphs begin feeding near the base of new buds, causing
- Latin Name: Adelges abietis
- Latin Family Name: Adelgidae
- Common Name: Eastern spruce gall aphid
- Other Names: Pineapple gall adelgid
Origin:
Eastern spruce gall aphid is an introduced species from Europe.
Biology:
The feeding of these adelgids on the tender stems of spruce and fir causes deformed sections, similar in appearance to cones or pineapples, which distort the stems and stunt the growth, usually girdling the stem at that point. A continuing infestation on a tree will seriously disfigure it, weaken it, and make it more susceptible to attack by other insect pests. Immature aphids overwinter in crevices in the bark of the tree, and in early spring mature to adults with wings. These now lay eggs on the new twigs, and these new nymphs begin feeding near the base of new buds, causing the tissues at that point to swell and form