Species Melanocallis caryaefoliae - Black Pecan Aphid

Callipterus caryaefoliae Davis, 1910

only black aphid that attacks pecan foliage. The adult may be various shades of green or black. Nymphs tend to be lighter in color than the adults, especially in spring when the first through fourth instars have little dark pigment. Antennae are pale yellow with small amounts of black on several segments. Eyes are dark red and cornicles are short. In the other two aphid species present on pecan, cornicles are absent or greatly reduced. (Info from: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/r609300411.html)

Nearly monophagus on Pecan, but Hickory and other Juglandacea members may be possible

overwinters as an egg in bark crevices. The nymphs hatch in the spring, move to young foliage, and begin to feed. They mature into asexual stem mothers in about a week and begin to produce living young. These offspring in turn mature into asexual females. Many generations (15 to 30) of females are produced per year. The fall forms, wingless females and winged males, begin to appear among the nymphs in October. These forms mate and the females migrate to protected areas of the limbs and trunk and deposit their eggs in cracks.

(Info from: http://entoweb.okstate.edu/ddd/insects/blackpecanaphid.htm)

Black pecan aphids are not abundant during the spring, however, and leaf damage is limited. Higher populations capable of causing severe defoliation generally occur from midSeptember until frost. Black pecan aphids have a high reproductive rate – with each aphid capable of producing up to 35 offspring. There are approximately 20 to 30 generations per year.

(Info from: https://www.lsuagcenter.com/NR/rdonlyres/7D1C68BF-DA8E-4745-8BD0-0BF1206C2886/67823/pub3146BlackPecanAphidHIGHRES.pdf )