Aphis genistae

Aphis genistae
Aphis genistae on flowers of Genista species
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Suborder: Sternorrhyncha
Superfamily: Aphidoidea
Family: Aphididae
Genus: Aphis
Species: A. genistae
Binomial name
Aphis genistae
Scopoli 1763
Synonyms
  • Aphis genistae Kaltenbach, 1843[1]

Aphis genistae is an aphid of the family Aphididae.[2]

Distribution

This species can be found in most of Europe eastward to Ukraine and Turkey, and in the Nearctic ecozone (it has been introduced to North America).[3]

Description

Aphis genistae can reach a length of 1.4–2.6 millimetres (0.055–0.102 in). Apterae are black, coated with wax meal, while alatae have 4-8 secondary rhinaria.[4]

Biology

These insects mainly feed on small branches and flowers of Genista anglica, Genista lydia and Genista tinctoria (hence the species name),[5] but they have also been collected on Laburnum, Cytisus, Petteria, Spartium and Sophora species.[6] These aphids sometimes have a mutualistic relationship with ants. They are holocyclic (sex is involved, leading to egg production) and oviparae. Sexual females mate with the alate males in September to produce overwintering eggs.[4]

Bibliography

References

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