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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies (Hemiptera) » Plant-parasitic Hemipterans (Sternorrhyncha) » Aphidoidea » Aphids (Aphididae) » Witch Hazel Gall Aphids and Palm Aphids (Hormaphidinae) » Cerataphis » Fringed Orchid Aphid (Cerataphis orchidearum)
Photo#362112
Scale insect - Cerataphis orchidearum
Copyright © 2010 Tim Eisele

Scale insect - Cerataphis orchidearum
Atlantic Mine, Houghton County, Michigan, USA
January 1, 2010
Size: 1.5 mm
Found these on the bottom edges of the leaves of a potted orchid. Some were larger than this one, with white wax covering their entire backs, so this particular specimen probably wasn't fully mature. I killed them by putting them outside to freeze, and one of the larger ones split open, leaking a reddish-brown fluid. Is it a species of felt scale?

Images of this individual: tag all
Scale insect - Cerataphis orchidearum Scale insect - Cerataphis orchidearum
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Contributed by Tim Eisele on 2 January, 2010 - 12:42pm
Last updated 2 January, 2010 - 2:56pm

Hmmm!
We are entering a gray area when it comes to date and location of these creatures. They don't normally occur at such time and place unless they are kept indoors; but probably a good number of them prosper in man-made environments. The data sheet, cited on the info page, mentions September, October. I really don't know whether we should remove the data on this one from the data fields.
… Beatriz Moisset, 3 January, 2010 - 5:01pm login or register to post comments

 
My opinion
is that for species that occur indoors of their own accord (as opposed to being taken into an unnaturally warm environment by the photographer for rearing or to be kept as a pet), date and location should be entered in the data fields. This species is presumably dependent on humans in the northern part of its range, and I suspect that a houseplant is the only place you could find it in Michigan. Removing the data from this post would be sort of like removing the data from all the images of overwintering Leptoglossus occidentalis taken in houses in the Northeast.

Oh, and also, that website linked to from the guide page is based in India, so the seasonal information should probably be ignored anyway.
… Charley Eiseman, 3 January, 2010 - 5:31pm login or register to post comments

Thanks very much
It's good to know what these were, it sounds like they aren't going to jump to our other, non-orchid houseplants.
… Tim Eisele, 3 January, 2010 - 4:47am login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
Has to be--there are three species known in North America, and the other two feed on palms.
… Charley Eiseman, 2 January, 2010 - 2:56pm login or register to post comments

Or similar to

Who knows, maybe you have the Fringed Orchid Aphid - Cerataphis orchidearum (Westwood)!?!?
… John R. Maxwell, 2 January, 2010 - 1:08pm login or register to post comments

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