#uroleucon

A common aphid, at least on Sowthistles (Sonchus sp.) and allied plants, like lettuce. Occasionally, they’re a serious pest over east, but so far that doesn’t seem to be the case in Western Australia. Of course, there’s also the risk of them transmitting plant viruses into the crops, but I don’t know if this particular species is a known vector.

This is a large genus with 226 species distributed worldwide associated almost entirely with the daisys (Asteraceae) and bellflowers (Campanulaceae) families. Uroleucon aphids are very fussy about their hosts - some are found on on a single species of plant. They do not host alternate. 

Aphids can reproduce asexually, which is great for starting new infestations and building up the numbers rapidly. These ones, on the other hand, usually reproduce  sexually, and overwinter as eggs. Here in Australia that probably means they breed all year round. Great snack for hungry hoverfly maggots or ladybirds, of course, and I’m sure their are tiny parasitic wasps that will go after them too.

New Post has been published on http://blog.jannews.net/2014/07/red-aphids-genus-uroleucon/

Red Aphids- Genus Uroleucon?

This year, I haven’t found any of the yellow colored, non-native Oleander aphids, but we do have a fairly nice colony of these red aphids.  Perhaps these belong to the genus Uroleucon?  It seems there isn’t much information readily available about aphids. Perhaps aphids are the next big thing.  Do I see a aphidapalooza festival in the future? Probably not, but they are fascinating creatures, though. These individuals are feasting on my double flowered green-headed coneflower, Rudbeckia laciniata ‘Hortensia’.  This Victorian era “heirloom perennial” has been passed through our family- our clone originated from relatives in northeast Indiana.  Calling it an heirloom perennial seems to be a bit out of place, however, since I also read that it was affectionately known as “the outhouse plant”.

-Tom