Description of the most common types of aphids in Europe: peach, shoot, common, potato and others

Every gardener and gardener knows not only the name of this insect, but also the harm it can cause. Aphids are on the list of the most malicious pests, which, despite their small size, have an enviable appetite and a high level of fertility. It is sometimes difficult to cope with it, but with the right selection of control methods, it is possible. To begin with, it is worth familiarizing yourself in more detail with what it is and what consequences can be expected from its life activity.

Why are aphids dangerous?

The list of her possible “merits” is considerable:

It is a carrier of a large number of infections with which it infects crops, as a result of which the latter get sick and, in some cases, die;
Often the insect besieges the seedlings, eating them. Accordingly, this causes enormous damage to the crop;
Aphids love to suck the sap of young plants, which causes their leaves to lose color and begin to curl. To feed on them, she pierces them with a small proboscis;
It is most dangerous for young fruit trees, and especially when it attacks them in entire colonies;
The pest produces the so-called “honeydew”, and it acts as a medium in which infections, a sooty fungus, recognizable by a black coating on the leaves, actively develop.

Interesting Facts

And finally, we invite you to familiarize yourself with some interesting facts about aphids:

The aphid is a rather defenseless insect, but it has serious protectors. These are ants that love to feast on the sweet honeydew secreted by aphids, and therefore even bring their eggs into their anthill so that they can survive the winter;
parasitizing in warm areas, these insects are capable of producing 30 new generations in one year;
American scientists calculated the total mass of aphids parasitizing on 2 hectares of sugar beet plantings - their weight was 25 kg;
aphids can also bring benefits - the juices of some plants contain large amounts of sugar, which leads to disruption of the process of photosynthesis. These insects suck out the juice, reducing the amount of sugar, and the honeydew that falls to the ground saturates it with nitrogen.

Why do aphids appear?

Young plants are attractive to it, but many people wonder where exactly it can appear in the house, garden, or vegetable garden. This can happen in the following ways:

With purchased plants, seedlings;
With bouquets of flowers, leaves, branches of various crops;
The winged female pests could have been brought by the wind;
If the soil has not been disinfected, there may be insect eggs in it;
They can be brought by people on clothes or in the fur of animals from other places where they are found;
Ants can place pests on plants.

Measures to combat leaf gall aphids, a plant pest

This pest is a small sucking insect, the size of which is no more than 2.2 cm. The leaf gall aphid mainly damages young leaves of red and white currants.

Insects are located on the underside of the leaf. Dark red or yellow swellings (galls) form in places of damage. With a massive invasion of gall aphids, currant leaves dry out and then die.

In July, when the growth of currant shoots stops, the insects move to herbaceous plants in the garden, and in September they return to the currants, where they lay eggs. Aphid eggs overwinter on the bark of young shoots near the buds.

A measure to combat leaf gall aphids is early spring spraying of shrubs with St. John's wort infusion before buds open. To prepare it, you need to pour 1.5 kg of crushed dry St. John's wort herb into 10 liters of warm water, then leave for 48 hours. Spraying with infusion should be carried out 2 times a week, preferably in the evening. Treatment should be stopped 40 days before harvest.

Aphid development cycle

The insect lays eggs in the fall on the crop, which is the breadwinner, and the larvae hatch from them in the spring. As they develop, they gain strength, and when they molt, they begin to reproduce asexually, as a result of which a huge number of wingless females appear - it can be up to hundreds of thousands.

Over time, the succulent young shoots turn into lignified ones, after which winged females of the pest appear migrating to various crops. During the summer, tens of generations of wingless and winged females can form, and in the autumn, winged males appear, fertilize the winged females, as a result of which eggs are laid. Winged insects do not reproduce as intensively, but their offspring are very viable - they have the ability to safely overwinter, after which a new life cycle of pests begins.

What does aphid look like?

The body length of aphids is on average 3-5 mm. Depending on the food plant, aphids can be green, black, red, yellow, or white. The body covers are translucent. The eyes are round and black. The antennae are long, reaching the length of the body. On the back of the body, two juice tubes are well located, through which a sweet liquid (honeydew, honeydew) is secreted.

Aphids have wingless and winged individuals. Wingless females are engaged in procreation. They reproduce by parthenogenesis, that is, independently without fertilization. And winged individuals populate other food plants.

Types of aphids

There are many varieties of them, differing in their characteristics, and it is worth understanding which are the most common and what characteristics they have.

Green

It is also called peach tree because its homeland is considered to be Asia, and the peach tree, which is the plant that is its primary host, grows here. Green aphids often appear on cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplants, sweet peppers, and other greenhouse plants. They also love fruit bushes, trees, chrysanthemums, and roses.

This type of insect belongs to the suborder Aphid, is polymorphic, dioecious. It goes through the same stages of development as other types of these pests. Four times during the growing season, the insect undergoes a molt, shedding a white skin, by which it can be determined that it has infected the plant.

The description of this type is as follows:

Wingless individuals can have a green, light green, yellow-green, white-green color. There are representatives of red or pink color. They all look matte, their skin has no shine;
Winged individuals are characterized by a brown-black color of the chest and head, having a yellow-green abdomen, sometimes with a reddish tint. It has a dark brown spot on it, and the body is covered with several transverse dark stripes;
The pupae from which the winged representatives of the species emerge are red or pink in color.

If there are green aphids on roses, cucumbers, fruit trees, and other crops that they like to attack, this risks exposing them to infection with various viruses. It feeds on the juice of crops, depleting them of the substances necessary for normal development and growth, which is why their leaves become deformed. If young plants are damaged at the very beginning of the season, the death of the latter cannot be ruled out.

Black

This type of pest belongs to the order Homoptera proboscis and is characterized by excellent viability and a high level of fertility. Most often they start on viburnum. Descriptions of individuals of this species are as follows:

They are small in size, dark in color with a brown or crimson tint;
The females lay eggs near the buds of the plant, and closer to spring, larvae hatch from them and actively absorb the juices of the crop;
In the second half of August, winged representatives of the species tend to “favour” new trees;
Around mid-September, female insects lay eggs, which overwinter safely.

Most often this pest can be detected in the period May - June, and immediately after this it is necessary to begin to solve the problem of how to get rid of black aphids, because if you do not solve it in time, soon the plants will attack entire colonies of these insects, and it will be much more difficult to destroy them problematic.

Cotton

It is also called melon and belongs to the incompletely cycled polyphagous insects belonging to the family of True Aphids. This species got its name because it usually attacks melons or cotton. At the same time, its representatives can overwinter and reproduce on weeds and wild plants. If an insect of this species has settled on your cucumbers, this is not surprising, since they grow in them and in other vegetables, as well as fruit crops.

The description of these insects is as follows:

Individuals have a narrow oval body shape, the length of which can be 1.2-1.9 mm;
They have a dark tail, the color of which is lighter than the color of the dark tubes;
Their color is dark green, yellow or green.

Massive attacks of crops by these pests usually occur in the period May - June, and if their reproduction is not stopped at this moment and you do not get rid of them, then huge colonies will appear, which will aggravate the problem of how to deal with aphids effectively and quickly.

Helichrysovaya

The species belongs to the order Homoptera, the family of Aphids. Individuals that are hemipterans have the following description:

Wingless females, which are viviparous, have a body length of 1.5-2 mm, olive-brown, yellow, yellow-green color;
In winged individuals, the body length is 1.3-1.9 mm, its color is black or dark brown. Individuals have long antennae, a green abdomen with small dark spots.

One of the crops most often affected by this pest is sunflower. But he also loves stone fruit plants - almonds, peach, apricot, cherry plum, plum, etc.

How to destroy bean and pea aphids

Found wherever legumes are grown. Warm and humid weather creates favorable conditions for the spread of the pest. Aphid eggs overwinter in root areas and in plant debris of perennial legumes. These eggs hatch into a female founder, who forms a colony of aphids. Then female dispersers appear. These aphid plant pests migrate to vegetable bean plantings.

Aphid colonies increase rapidly; insects feed on young shoots and leaves of plants.

Aphids can migrate to perennial legumes, where they lay eggs that overwinter. To combat aphids, it is necessary to place bean crops so that spatial isolation from perennial legumes is maintained. Aphids are destroyed by hymenoptera parasites, as well as insect predators - coccinellid larvae and beetles, hoverfly larvae, lacewings and anthocorys bugs.

What should you consider when fighting aphids?

In this matter, you should focus on several important aspects:

When aphids appear on currants, cucumbers, fruit trees or other crops, you must remember that they are primarily “interested” in young buds and leaves, since they are the ones that they can pierce with their trunk, while older parts of plants are too tough for the insect. Thus, first of all, young shoots, buds, leaves, in particular their lower part, the tops of trees and shrubs, need protection from it;
When fighting these pests, you need to pay attention to the presence of ants and where they live. The fact is that the latter need sweet syrup, which is secreted by harmful insects. Therefore, ants try to deliver them to various crops all the time. In addition, the former are defenders of the latter from natural enemies. If these pest allies are discovered, you should also try to get rid of them;
The fight against aphids is usually carried out using all existing methods. Its natural enemies include predatory bugs, some types of wasps, ground beetles, lacewings, surfflies, ladybugs, and hoverflies. Birds include titmice, warblers, and wrens. To get the help of winged creatures in this fight, you should organize drinking bowls, feeders, birdhouses, and places for swimming;
You need to prepare for the fact that measures to get rid of pests will have to be carried out repeatedly, using different methods and means;
Try not to overuse chemicals, as they will be absorbed into the plants, into the soil, and then these harmful substances will enter the body.

Peculiarities

True aphids are vulnerable animals; in addition to humans, they have many natural enemies: wasps, crickets, hoverflies, ladybugs (you can find out how to fight aphids using ladybugs here).

What is their significance in nature? Contrary to popular opinions about them, aphids do not play a purely negative role as a pest: they not only harm plants, but also regulate the process of photosynthesis in them, sucking out excess sugar along with juices. In addition, the sweet secretions of aphids, when they enter the ground, fertilize it, saturating it with nitrogen.

Man has come up with many ways to combat aphids since they appeared, from introducing natural enemies of aphids to using pesticides. An effective means for killing aphids is ordinary acetic acid .

To bait insects, a vinegar solution is usually used in proportions of 1-2 tbsp. l. acid per 10 liters of water. You can add laundry soap or dishwashing detergent to the prepared solution. A solution with such a concentration will not harm plants.

Small plants can be sprayed with a spray bottle, carefully spraying each leaf from the top and bottom. Large and branchy bushes or trees must be watered abundantly using a watering can. In order to completely and permanently destroy aphids, only a few systematic applications of the solution are usually sufficient.

You can learn about folk methods of fighting aphids here, and here we talked about helpers in the fight against aphids.

Active measures to combat aphids

It can start in vegetable gardens, garden plots and even at home. The most common methods of their extermination are:

Chemicals that are very effective. Thanks to them, the result is achieved quickly, but they may contain toxic components that can harm the earth, cultivated crops, and human health. In addition, it is possible that small birds and beneficial insects will suffer from them;
Biological products, which are also effective, but you can wait 5-10 days for results from their use. Their advantage is that such a remedy for aphids causes much less damage to the environment compared to chemicals;
Folk remedies that have also proven to be effective. Using them, gardeners and gardeners try to select only those options that will be most effective and capable of bringing minimal side effects.

Aphids on houseplants. Fighting aphids at home. Video (00:08:34)

Aphids on houseplants. Fighting aphids at home

Aphid infestation of indoor plants is easy to recognize. It lives on stems, forming dense clusters around growing points. Mostly tender young shoots and flower buds are affected. As they grow, insects shed their shells. Sometimes more white shed shells accumulate than the aphids themselves.

Among the aphids there are winged individuals, which serve for dispersal; they often fly into open windows. Roses, fuchsias, abutilons, and many aroids suffer greatly from aphids. Species with dense leaves, such as palms, bromeliads, milkweeds, and ficus trees, are usually not threatened by aphids.

Use of chemicals

There are aphids on cabbage, flowers, fruit trees or other plants; these products will help get rid of them within 1-2 days. The most effective of them are:

Chemicals based on imidacloprid or thiamethoxam. This group of products includes “Iskra Zolotaya”, “Tanrek”, “Konfidor”, “Aktara”. These drugs cause virtually no harm to the human body, but they protect culture tissues from the inside, penetrating deeply into them. They are often used through irrigation systems for plants growing in greenhouse conditions. They are highly effective, and their only drawback is their relatively high cost;
Another group of chemicals are products based on permethrin compounds. This group includes such drugs as Inta-Vir, Decis Profi, Kinmiks. Their peculiarity is that they achieve results very quickly - sometimes just a few minutes are enough. In plant tissues, their components do not accumulate, remaining on their surface, and within 2 weeks they disappear from it. With them their effect disappears. Whether you are deciding how to get rid of aphids on roses or cucumbers, other flowers, vegetables, or fruit trees, use these products with great caution, because they can leave burns on young plants, which stops their development. Care must be taken when working with them also because such drugs can irritate the mucous membranes and human skin. According to the criterion of the impact on the body of the latter, they are classified as means of an average level of toxicity;
Preparations containing organophosphorus compounds. Representatives of this category are “Fufanon”, “Alatar”, “Karbofos”, “Aktellik”. Such products have recently been used less and less, since they are characterized by high toxicity to humans and the environment, and their effectiveness in matters of how to get rid of aphids on cucumbers, other vegetables, flowers, fruits, and ornamental crops is insufficient. This is especially true for insect populations emerging in recent years.

Even the most powerful chemicals should not be used frequently. On the packaging they are always given instructions for their use, which must be strictly followed. Before processing, be sure to wear a respirator, safety glasses, gloves, and special clothing.

How to treat plants against melon aphids

This is a polyphagous species of aphid belonging to the family true aphids. This insect has an oval-shaped body, yellow, green or dark green.

The length of its body is on average 1.5-2 mm. The tubes of aphids are dark, the tail is usually lighter than the tubes, but darker than the body. The first and seventh abdominal tergites have marginal tubercles.

Aphids form colonies (usually on the underside of leaves). They are often quite dense.

The pest is also found on flowers, young fruits, and stems.

Sometimes leaf deformation is observed. Adult females and larvae overwinter on the leaves of various plants, as well as under rosettes of basal leaves of weeds. Reproduction begins in spring.

Sharp temperature fluctuations have a detrimental effect on melon aphids. To combat the pest, it is recommended to spray crops with a decoction or infusion of tobacco dust. To do this, pour 1 kg of raw material into 8-10 liters of warm water, then leave for 2 days or boil for 10 minutes, then strain. Removing weeds from the site also helps reduce the pest population.

Biological preparations for the control of aphids

They are less aggressive than chemicals, but can produce good results when used correctly. They may not be seen as quickly as with the use of chemicals. In addition, there will likely be a need to repeat the processing procedure. But biological products against aphids are safe for people, animals, crops themselves, and beneficial insects. Spraying must be done in cool weather conditions, when the air temperature is about 20 degrees C. Otherwise, they will not bring any effect. Please note that prolonged use of such products can lead to the emergence of pest populations that are resistant to them. In this regard, it is recommended to use them alternately with other methods of combating them.

Among the most popular biological drugs are the following:

"Iskra-Bio";
"Bitoxibacillin";
"Akarin";
"Fitoverm".

Fighting aphids with folk remedies

They are also trusted by many, because they have proven themselves to be effective and safe for humans and the environment. Although these methods also have their drawbacks.

For example, people often use ammonia for aphids. This is one of the most popular remedies, regardless of whether it has started on garden roses, garden roses or other crops. Its disadvantage is that it can leave burns on the leaves of the plant, so it also needs to be used carefully, and this is done like this:

Combine the main component of the solution in an amount of 50 ml with water, which will require about 10 liters;
Add laundry soap to the composition, measuring 25 g;
Mix the ingredients and treat the plant that needs it.

You can use ammonia or regular alcohol (you can replace the specified component with the latter), you should not intensively spray the plants with it.

People also use vinegar, which is also considered one of the most effective substances:

Dilute 1 tbsp. l. vinegar in 1 liter of water or 1 tbsp. l. vinegar essence in 10 liters of liquid;
Use the resulting solution to spray plants. The procedure must be repeated 2-3 times at intervals of several days.

You can also use a folk remedy for aphids such as baking soda:

Combine 75 g of this product with 10 liters of water;
Spray the affected crop.

They say that this remedy can also rid it of fungus and rot.

Potassium permanganate is also used against annoying aphids, but it is a less effective remedy than the previous ones.

Combine 5 g of the main component of the solution and 10 liters of water, stir;
Apply the composition to spray the plant.

Aphids on ornamental plants

In this section you will learn how aphids harm indoor flowers and how to get rid of them. Ornamental plants are also often attacked by aphids. She sucks the juice from leaves, flowers, and young shoots. Chlorotic spots remain at the bite sites, the tissue becomes deformed, the leaves dry out, and the flowers fall off. Damaged plants are stunted and lose their marketable appearance. There are many ways to remove aphids from ornamental plants.

Aphids on roses

Various types of aphids that parasitize vegetable, grain, and fruit crops can also be found on ornamental crops (trees, bushes, flowers).

Aphids suck the juice from young leaves and flowers of roses, thereby causing plants to wilt, change color and dry out. And since the type of ornamental plants is the meaning of their cultivation, immediate destruction of aphids is necessary.

Here's how to get rid of aphids on roses: You can water the bushes with strong water pressure. This way, the aphids will be washed to the ground, and predatory insects and birds will eat them. This procedure must be carried out regularly and the number of aphids will decrease significantly. You can also spray roses with insecticides Aktara, Decis, Iskra, Kinvix, Intavir and others. But you should understand that the use of chemicals can harm vegetables and fruits growing nearby. Therefore, it is better to use safer methods or use chemicals only in certain areas with roses.

You can also use folk remedies for aphids: tinctures and decoctions of garlic, potato tops, tomatoes, onion peels, and tobacco. Aphids on roses photo

Aphids on orchids

The appearance of aphids on orchids can be caused by a dry climate in the house and a lack of microelements in the plant. So it is necessary to moisturize both the environment and the plant itself. You just need to spray or wipe the leaves, as your grandmother probably treated them. You need to be careful with your plant, fertilize it and replant it on time. Any disruption in the development of the plant can attract aphids. What to do if aphids have already overtaken you? It is necessary to isolate the damaged plant from the rest. If there are only a couple of specimens on your plant, remove them manually. If the colonization is massive, then you can spray the orchid with a soap solution (water + laundry soap) or make a decoction of lemon, orange peels (any citrus fruits) and also spray the plant with it.

Aphids on violets

Aphids on indoor plants cause great harm. It attracts ants and ladybugs into the house and oppresses the plant. But on violets, aphids leave their sweet secretions, and since the violet is pubescent, it is worse for it to breathe and take in nutrients, unlike other plants. If the infestation of aphids is low, the violet can be wiped or washed under running water. These manipulations will cleanse the plant of aphids and sweet secretions. During mass colonization, violets need to be sprayed with insecticides Fitoverm, Neoron, Actellik, Intavir, Mospilan. After about a week, this procedure must be repeated.

Preventive measures to combat aphids

You can use them to significantly reduce the risk of this pest becoming an inhabitant of your garden, vegetable garden, or home. For this:

Be sure to check the area for anthills. Having found it, pour boiling water over it, otherwise its inhabitants will most likely begin to populate crops with these insects;
In the autumn, it is necessary to cut off diseased, insect-infested tree branches;
Plant calendula in the garden - it will attract ladybugs, and they feed on these pests with great appetite;
Potassium permanganate against aphids can also be used as a means of preventing it, and in this capacity it is more effective than as a fight against an existing infection;
Nature also gave us natural repellents - basil, cilantro, thyme, lavender, catnip, lemon balm, mint. They should be planted in your area to repel pests.

It can be difficult to cope with these insects, but a combination of different methods and types of means will help to achieve this. Knowing which of them are the most effective, use them to get rid of this problem effectively and for a long time.

APHIES AND ANTS

Most species of aphids produce sweet excrement called copper dew. The reason for the secretion of this substance is that these insects have delicate body coverings through which water easily evaporates. This is why aphids “drink” a lot so as not to die from drying out.

Plant juices are not only a drink for aphids, but also food. These insects absorb huge amounts of juices, so excess sugar is excreted from the body undigested. Interestingly, aphids in hot regions produce much more honeydew than in humid climates. Ants feed on the sweet excrement of aphids. Thanks to this, certain complex relationships have developed between them over thousands of years: some species of aphids and ants have become so close that the former have become “cash cows”, and the latter have become their “shepherds” and protectors.

The shepherd ant approaches the aphid, tickles it with its antennae, and it immediately secretes a drop of honey dew. The shepherd passes this droplet to the carrier ant, whose function is to deliver “honey” to the anthill. The ant guards the aphids and protects them from ladybugs and lacewings, which feed on aphids.