Aphid Giving Birth - Uroleucon

Moved

… Charley Eiseman, 7 December, 2009 - 9:36pm

This is a Uroleucon, but not sonchellum. The species ID is not certain. Also, this specimen is a very unusual brachypterous female.

… Andrew Jensen, 7 December, 2009 - 8:58pm

Moved

Moved from Aphids. Again, not a 100% positive ID. The reference I'm using lists two species that feed on Lactuca. Uroleucon sonchellum is described as reddish brown, which these are, whereas your other Lactuca aphids are bright red and presumably are U. pseudambrosiae.

… Charley Eiseman, 14 October, 2009 - 12:04am

Busy in the Aphid Dept....

:^) Hmmm... I might start shooting more of these little critters!

Thanks!

… Scott Justis, 14 October, 2009 - 12:21am

Doing my best...

Right now I'm just going through and looking at all the red aphids, which almost all are turning out to be aster-feeding species in this genus. I'm still totally clueless about most other aphids... but images like yours, combined with host plant info, should be enough for IDs, if we can ever convince an actual aphid expert to visit BugGuide. So by all means, shoot away!

… Charley Eiseman, 14 October, 2009 - 12:27am

Sow-thistle?

The grooved stem on this photo suggests it may be a species of sow-thistle (Sonchus), as in this example.

… John Pearson, 22 November, 2009 - 10:49pm

Here it is...

http://www.ppws.vt.edu/scott/weed_id/sonas.htm

Spiny Sow Thistle Sonchus asper

… Scott Justis, 23 November, 2009 - 9:09am

As it happens...

That change in plant ID doesn't change my guess for the aphid ID. The reference I'm using notes two species that feed on Sonchus: U. sonchi, which is brown, and U. sonchellum, which is reddish brown. Definitive ID would require a clear view of the antennae: length of antennal segment III greater than that of antennal segments IV and V combined in U. sonchellum; length of antennal segment III less than that of antennal segments IV and V combined in U. sonchi. Looks like an enlarged crop of your third image would show this. (This also assumes that there are no Sonchus-feeding species in Virginia beyond those found in Michigan, for which this key was made.)

… Charley Eiseman, 24 November, 2009 - 2:05am

Let me check...

my archive. I know that I made quite a number of images of these aphids. I'll post a higher res. image if I have one.

… Scott Justis, 24 November, 2009 - 8:11am

Added image

The added image may show enough detail for a specialist familiar with Uroleucon species to say which this is. Unfortunately, I'm not sure which of the little grooves represent actual segmentation of the antennae. This page indicates that U. sonchi antennae have yellow on them, though, so it seems like that species can be ruled out.

… Charley Eiseman, 1 December, 2009 - 5:08pm

Your photos...

... are incredible. I hope I can be this good someday.

… Carmen Champagne, 18 November, 2008 - 4:40pm

Thanks...

I think you're already there judging by your images I've seen recently!

… Scott Justis, 18 November, 2008 - 5:20pm