Species Myzocallis asclepiadis

Myzocallis (Neomyzocallis) asclepiadis (Monell)

Orig. Comb: Callipterus asclepiadis Monell, 1879

Pale green-yellow; later in the season, may have orange spots or be entirely orange. Even later in the season, wingless ones with more numerous dark spots or small plates appear, presumably they are sexual neotene adults.

Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) (1)(2)

Several generation a year. Parthenogenetic. Summer adults or virginoparae (the female clonal aphids of the summer) are always winged. It is possible that aestivating nymphs are produced "whose bodies are covered and fringed with minute plates giving them the appearance of a tortoise." After aestivation and triggered by low temperatures, these nymphs mature into 'neotene' (i.e., wingless) sexual adults that produce the eggs for overwintering. (Tobias Zuest, personal communication, Beatriz Moisset)

over the course of the summer, the aphid changes color, from a pale yellow-green to having orange spots. (2)

Typically feeds in a dispersed pattern on the underside of lower leaves, is highly mobile, and only produces winged adults (?), see Life Cycle.

McMartin, K.A. & S.B. Malcolm. 2008. Defense expression in the aphid Myzocallis asclepiadis. Final Report. Pierce Cedar Creek Institute, Hastings, MI. 15 pp. (2)

Monell. 1879. In: Riley, C.V. & Monell. Notes on the Aphididae of the United States, with descriptions of species occurring West of the Mississippi. Bulletin of the United States Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories 5(1): 28, 29.

Smith, R.A., K.A. Mooney, A.A. Agrawal. 2008. Coexistence of three specialist aphids on common milkweed, Asclepias syriaca. Ecology. 89(8): 2187-2196. (3)

Züst, T. & A.A. Agrawal. 2015. Population growth and sequestration of plant toxins along a gradient of specialization in four aphid species on the common milkweed Asclepias syriaca. Functional Ecology doi: 10.1111/1365-2435.12523 pp. 1-10. (1)

Aphid Species File - ASF

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