Aphid culture

I know some are well-studied model organisms, but most research seems to consist of rearing on whole plants. How effective would using detached leaves be if the leaves are stuck into a drown-proof water container for hydration and replaced periodically for freshness?

Thanks

Contributed by C on 13 March, 2018 - 7:09pm

Raising aphids

I raised aphids at home a few times. Actually, I raised syrphid flies; the aphids were just food for them. I kept a twig of the host plant in water. Sometimes I used to cover them partially with plastic to reduce evaporation and watering. Surprisingly, sometimes I had success keeping the twig inside a plastic bag. There was practically no evaporation and watering was not needed for the short time it takes a syrphid larva to go to pupa. perhaps you can use this second method and periodically replace the twig, move the aphids to their new home and throw away the old one. To me, it seems that it is fairly easy to raise some aphids at home.
Here are some of the life cycles

… Beatriz Moisset, 15 August, 2018 - 5:40pm

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2024 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Printer Friendly Version