Aphids ?

Lord V · #1 (**permalink**) 12-08-2009, 07:36 AM

First spotted this little patch of bugs around 6mm diameter about 6 weeks ago on ther underside of a tree leaf (a bonsai maple)- I thought then that perhaps they were newly hatched plant bugs. Since then no change - beginning to think now they are aphids?
Any ideas ?
Thanks
Brian V.

Action_Man · #2 (**permalink**) 12-08-2009, 12:03 PM

Cant see no exhaust pipes Brian, and i thought Aphids were live bearers, and they wouldent drop them in clumps like this, would they ?.

Get that MPE-65 to 5:1, lets see a close-up

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Lord V · #3 (**permalink**) 12-08-2009, 02:55 PM

Hi Gordon

- rather extreme crop below, you can just see each one does appear to have what could be tuburcles.
Brian V.

Action_Man · #4 (**permalink**) 12-08-2009, 03:08 PM

They do seem to have the tubercles, but i have never seen Aphids form a uniform clump like that.

Hopefully someone will recognise them, as i cant

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jaguarondi · #5 (**permalink**) 12-08-2009, 04:08 PM

Plenty of aphid species form large colonies, although I agree it's unusual to see a colony made up of ones all the same size. Also, lots have ring cornicles like these (some aphids don't have any cornicles). That said, I have no idea what they are - but they're very hairy and so should be readily identifiable. Post another picture when they're bigger maybe.

Lord V · #6 (**permalink**) 12-08-2009, 04:25 PM

Thanks for the comments

Jagarondi - that's the odd thing about them- they have not significantly changed size in 6 weeks. I'm also assuming they did all hatch from eggs.
Brian v.

jaguarondi · #7 (**permalink**) 12-08-2009, 07:14 PM

Some aphids do lay eggs during the sexual phase of their life cycle - but that's in the autumn because the egg is the hardy overwintering stage. At this time of the year they should be in the asexual phase and churning out babies by the bucketful. But I'm only familiar with a few species that live on plants - ones on trees may have different life cycles.

Another odd thing (to me) about these is that the abdomen seems very segmented, and the antennae rather short. But I can't imagine what else they could be other than aphids

Lord V · #8 (**permalink**) 13-08-2009, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaguarondi

Some aphids do lay eggs during the sexual phase of their life cycle - but that's in the autumn because the egg is the hardy overwintering stage. At this time of the year they should be in the asexual phase and churning out babies by the bucketful. But I'm only familiar with a few species that live on plants - ones on trees may have different life cycles.

Another odd thing (to me) about these is that the abdomen seems very segmented, and the antennae rather short. But I can't imagine what else they could be other than aphids

Agree but did wonder if they could be nymphs of something else - they are behaving very peculiarly for aphids- they literally have not moved at all in 6 weeks.
brian v.

Hedera · #9 (**permalink**) 13-08-2009, 10:43 PM

They could be immature Soft Scale Insects, which take a long time to move off and start sucking the plant juices, when they remain in one place.

jaguarondi · #10 (**permalink**) 13-08-2009, 10:51 PM

Though far from sure I still lean towards aphids because of the cornicles, which are typical of species that live on trees. Also, some do have wrinkly bodies and shortish antennae - I checked. I wonder whether they're woolly aphids and the things I took for hairs are waxy filaments - hard to tell from the photo. See -
Woolly Aphid