Species Tuberolachnus salignus - Giant Willow Aphid

Classification · Explanation of Names · Size · Range · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited

Giant Willow Aphid - Tuberolachnus salignus

Giant Willow Aphids - Tuberolachnus salignus

Giant Willow Aphid - Tuberolachnus salignus? - Tuberolachnus salignus

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Hemiptera (True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies)

Suborder Sternorrhyncha (Plant-parasitic Hemipterans)

Superfamily Aphidoidea

Family Aphididae (Aphids)

Subfamily Lachninae (Giant Aphids)

Tribe Lachnini

Genus Tuberolachnus

Species salignus (Giant Willow Aphid)

Explanation of Names

Tuberolachnus salignus (Gmelin, 1790)

Size

5.0-5.8 mm

Range

almost cosmopolitan wherever willows are grown - Map (1), mostly New England to midwest and western N. Amer.

Food

It feeds on willows (Salix, Salicaceae), and also very occasionally recorded from poplar (Populus)

Life Cycle

According to Dr. Tilly Collins, the Giant Willow Aphid is "genetically incompatible with sexual reproduction and reproduces parthenogenetically year-round."

one known specific parasite, Pauesia salignae (Braconidae: Aphidiinae)

Remarks

Non native, introduced from Europe around 1872. Considered a minor pest.

Print References

Collins, C.M., M.D.E. Fellowes, R.B. Sage, S.R. Leath. 2001. Host selection and performance of the giant willow aphid, Tuberolachnus salignus Gmelin – implications for pest management. Agricultural and Forest Entomology 3(3): 183–189. (Text)

Collins, C.M., R.G. Rosado, S.R. Leather. (2001). The impact of the aphids Tuberolachnus salignus and Pterocomma salicis on willow trees. Annals of Applied Biology. 138 (2): 133–140. (Text)

Internet References

Aphid blog

Works Cited

1.	Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)

Contributed by Mike Boone on 2 December, 2004 - 8:34am
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, Mike Quinn, ceiseman
Last updated 20 October, 2023 - 12:19pm

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