| Woolly aphids | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hemiptera |
| Suborder: | Sternorrhyncha |
| Superfamily: | Aphidoidea |
| Family: | Aphididae |
| Subfamily: | Eriosomatinae |
Woolly aphids (subfamily: Eriosomatinae) are sucking insects that live on plant fluids, and produces a filamentous waxy white covering which resembles cotton or wool. The adults are winged and move to new locations where they lay egg masses. The larvae often form large cottony masses on twigs, for protection from predators. They come from Japan.
The woolly apple aphid is a pest for fruit growers. Many of the numerous species of woolly aphids have only one host plant species, or alternating generations on two specific hosts.
In flight they have been described as looking like "flying mice", and are given nicknames like "fluff bugs", "Don King bugs", "fairy flies", "Frederick Douglass flies" or "fuzz-butts". Due to their whimsical appearance, some parents tell children that they carry wishes, live in tulips, and much like fairies, are born every time you make a wish on a dandelion.
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Subfamily Eriosomatinae has recently been placed within the family Aphididae.[1][2]. It was previously placed in family Pemphigidae = Eriosomatidae[3], however, that taxon is no longer valid.[4]
Woolly aphids feed by inserting their needle-like mouthparts into plant tissue to withdraw sap. They are able to feed on leaves, buds, bark, and even the roots of the plant. As a result of feeding on the sap, woolly aphids produce a sticky substance known as honeydew, which can lead to sooty mold on the plant.
While woolly aphids generally aren't much cause for alarm, they can cause rather unsightly damage to plants, which is particularly a problem for growers of ornamentals. Symptoms of feeding include twisted and curled leaves, yellowed foliage, poor plant growth, low plant vigor, and branch dieback.
Further minor damage can be caused by the honeydew that woolly aphids secrete, which is difficult to remove. While the honeydew itself doesn't cause too much of a problem, the honeydew can cause sooty mold to grow, which can block some of the sunlight needed for photosynthesis.